Premium French Label Rouge Chickens from Ducks in a Row

Ducks in a Row Farm, owned by Nadia Alber & Chad Backes is based in Arena, WI. The Atlas team met with Chad at the Monona Farmers Market to ask about their Premium French-Label Rouge Chickens. Chad had meat birds available ranging from 4 to 7 lbs per bird. Premium French-label Rouge chickens are superior meat birds because they grow slower and their meat is more flavorful. Most meat birds are harvested around 8 weeks, but Premium French-Label Rouge Chickens are harvested after 8 weeks, sometimes up to 11 weeks. The chickens are raised on pasture and Nadia and Chad follow strict guidelines on how to raise the birds humanely. Nadia and Chad also sell chicken eggs, grassfed lamb, grassfed beef, and heritage pork. 

I roasted one of their chickens with fresh herbs and butter under the skin. I had parsley, tarragon, sage, and thyme. The tarragon was a lovely complement to the flavorful chicken meat. Unlike other breeds, the French-label Rouge chickens had more elongated breast meat, and the leg and thigh meat was dark, showing the birds used their wings and moved their legs. The processor included the neck, liver and heart in the cavity, ensuring I could have those rich flavors for chicken stock later this week. The birds had the fat sacks still attached, meaning I had ample spoonfuls of chicken fat in my roasting pan to make a sauce with shallots, tarragon and vermouth. I enjoyed the flavorful chicken and will hunt out these beautiful birds from Nadia and Chad at Ducks in a Row in the future.