Roland and I purchased a chicken from the local supermarket last week. It was quite large but we went ahead and bought it and roasted it like we usually do. We couldn’t believe the amount of fat it released during cooking. Also, we noticed it was much richer than the chicken we were used to … so we called it a Ducken.
While having dinner with our friends (Pierre and Francoise) in Bordeaux on Friday night – we described the ducken to them – larger, richer and more fatty. Well there first reaction was “you bought a chicken from a supermarket?” We said “yes, where else do you buy chickens from?” They said “we never buy chicken from the supermarket – we get ours from the local butcher that comes to the farmers’ market”.
After a couple of seconds, Pierre suggested that we had possibly purchased a chicken finished on milk. That would explain the size and fattier content – Francoise was incredulous “you never buy chicken that has eaten milk – only grains!”
So not only did we realize what we had purchased but were told the correct place and type of chicken to purchase!
Post Script –December 25,
After a month of asking questions at the Farmer’s market, visiting our local butcher — we have not yet been able to find the RIGHT chicken. I guess it’s duck for us then!!!
Francescapes: 
(to be read with distance) : Ahhhhhhhhhh, foreigners! Chickens -as locals – (or vice versa) all look the same! Or they don’t… So, actually, you may encounter various types of chicken, either fed on vitammins and antibiotics, or grain and milk (you may want to check what a chapon and a poularde are), and you might meet both/either Françoise and Robert as one couple, and/or Anne and Pierre as another!
Happy New Year, and keep writing your enthusiastic impartial true US comments: great fun!
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