Originally from the small town of Houdan in Les Yvelines, this upmarket chicken, recognisable by its black plumage with white flecks and large crest, has been awarded PGI and Label Rouge certification.
Although known for its lightness (due to its very slender bone structure), the Houdan chicken is very meaty. Reared outdoors, it has a cereal-based diet topped up with milk and cream.
Although Houdan chicken is ideally cooked in a casserole dish, roasting should be avoided as this cooking method tends to dry out its tender flesh. This bird's meat is also used to make the famous Houdan pie.