Writes: David Ruipérez / Photo Signature: Preconsat
Do you know the chickens with 'blue leg'? When it comes to meats that enjoy the quality aura that the seal of Denomination of Origin or Protected Geographical Indication, birds are a minority group.
El chicken and capon of Prat, riding a Catalonia, sneak into the group of select meats. It is worth knowing them better and learning to value that White meat. As is done with beef from Galicia, Basque Country or Ávila, For example.
The area covered by this DO It is in the province of Barcelona and specifically includes these municipalities: Castelldefels, Cornella de Llobregat, El Prat de Llobregat, Gavá, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Sant Climent de Llobregat, Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Viladecans and Santa Coloma de Cervelló.
The Prat breed guarantees a minimum of 90 days of aging
If a Distinctive feature of the animals are their blue legs blackboard. With green feathers with metallic reflections in the case of roosters and very black when we talk about chickens. His meat is honeyed, fine and without excess fat.
Feeding these chickens with 'blue leg' and capons from El Prat it is made up of 70% cereals. Meanwhile, their minimum calf is 90 days (roosters) and 182 (capons). Growth factors are prohibited and are raised on land at a density that cannot exceed 8 animals per square meter.
The eggs that they produce are of Pink color, of good size, with a minimum of 55 grams. The Prat breed more commonly refers to chickens with 'blue leg' and capon. It was once very widespread on the Spanish coast. However, the expansion of hybrid species confined this breed to the area of Barcelona from which it takes its name.
El chicken It is the most consumed meat of Spain, almost 40% of the total, but in the case of the capon, it does acquire a certain product status good gourmet food. There are some cases where a 'surname' has been given to it and it has acquired a certain fame. What the capon of Villalba (Lugo) and Cascajares (Palencia). Above all, because of the strong media commitment that was made in promoting the second.
La tender and tasty meat for its amount of streaky fat. It has a classic Christmas preparation, roast and stuffing. They have made it a fixture at many tables in Christmas Eve. However, both do not have a quality certification or the endorsement and requirements that imply being a Protected Geographical Indication.
A healthy 'blue leg' chicken meat
As for nutritional aspects, the latest scientific studies recommend these 'blue leg' chickens against the moderation and limitations in the consumption of red meat or sausages.
El chicken is the perfect choice for eat meat several times a week without negatively affecting health. However, it should be remembered that it is important remove the skin. As tasty as it is, it accumulates a unnecessary fat and, in addition, it contains heterocyclic amines. These are formed when amino acids -The building blocks of proteins-, sugars and creatine –A substance found in the muscle tissue of meat- react together driven by the high temperature that the product acquires.
