Milk and honey: a combination that immediately knows good and that makes the meat of chickens, guinea fowls, geese and capons special that they feed on it.

A technique of breeding particular, the result of studies carried out by Chamber of Commerce of Padua, in collaboration with the local University, and submitted to patent. Today at the Association "Chicken Milk & Honey”Three companies join, Scudellaro, Littamè is De Marchi: producers involved in the enhancement of traditional courtyard animals of the Bassa Padovana according to a set of good practices.

Starting with the selection of slow-growing breeds bred outdoors, because the best, lean but firm meats come from animals free to move. The heart of the disciplinary is the feeding that includes cereals, legumes and alfalfa integrated in the last 30-60 days of growth of birds, with milk and honey of the Euganean Hills. A mix that improves health (honey increases the immune system) and well-being with the addition of vitamins, proteins and calcium.

The result is nutritious meats, tasty and fragrant, with a tender but consistent "texture".

The producers
Sara De Marchi and Mirco Scudellaro are two of the breeders of "Pollo Latte & Miele", a Paduan association for the enhancement of farm animals bred outdoors in a natural way, with a special supply.

The selected breeds are the chicken "Naked Neck"(Better the female specimens that have not yet laid eggs, with soft and juicy meats) and the guinea fowl “Cock" French, of 5-6 months (the males, leaner than the females). For info.

3 tips from chef Roberto Zanca of the Chicken & Honey Association

1- An excellent chicken broth
The chicken cooking broth is perfect to be reused in many recipes: "Try it for Paduan risotto, with courtyard meats", suggests Roberto Zanca, chef and cookery teacher in a hotel institute, who collaborates with the Association of Chicken Milk & Honey and made our dishes.

2- Delicate aroma of black garlic
Thanks to the fermentation process, black garlic loses the typical acrid taste of the bulb and acquires sweetness and an aroma reminiscent of licorice and soy sauce.

3- The skin of golden meat is sweeter
The skin of the guinea fowl and of the chicken fed with milk and honey acquires a particular sweetness enhanced by the browning, which makes it crunchy. "It would be a shame to waste it!", The chef recommends.

Chicken salad with broad bean pesto and black garlic milk

for 6 people
1 chicken of about 1.5-1.8 kg – 1 onion – 800 g of fresh broad beans – 90 g of pecorino romano – 3 cloves of black garlic – 1.5 dl of milk – 1/2 teaspoon of corn starch – a few leaves of salad – extra virgin olive oil – salt – pepper

– Shell the beans: you will get about 220 g shelled. Meanwhile, bring to a boil in a saucepan plenty of salted water with the peeled onion. Combine in the pot the chicken and boil it about 90 minutes. Turn off and let it cool in the broth.

– Grate the pecorino cheese. Blanch the beans in salted water 3 minutes, drain, transfer to water and ice, then drain and peel them.

– Put the Fava beans in mortar (except some) with the pecorino cheese and, pouring 120 ml of oil flush, work with the pestle to get a creamy pesto. Pour the milk into a small pan, melt the cornstarch and bring it to the boiling point. Turn off the garlic cloves peel and leave to infuse until the milk is cold.

– Blend milk and black garlic with the mixer to obtain a smooth sauce and season with salt. Drain the chicken is spolpatelo eliminating the skin, bones, nerves and other waste.

– Fray the meat with your hands and season it in a bowl with oil, salt and pepper. Divide it into dishes with salad, washed and dried, the whole beans kept aside, the broad bean pesto and some drops of black garlic milk, serving the rest of the sauce separately.

Easy – Preparation 30 minutes – Cooking 1 hour and 40 minutes

Guinea fowl breast marinated with star anise, potato mayonnaise and sweet and sour radishes

for 4 people
2 half-breasts of guinea fowl with the skin – 1 boiled potato – 2 yolks – 110 g of sugar – 1 star anise – the grated rind of 1/2 untreated lemon – 8 radishes – 1 dl of white wine – 1 dl of white vinegar – 1 untreated orange peel – 3 slices of fresh ginger – 60 g of peanut oil – salt

– Bring 170 ml of water to a boil with wine, vinegar and 80 g of sugar and let cool. Blanch the radishes for 3-4 minutes in salted water, drain and let them cool. Add the orange zest, ginger and radishes to the syrup. Cover and let stand 2 days in the fridge.

– Cut the skin of the breasts with 2-3 cuts, then turn them and separate the small elongated fillets. Lightly slice the anise in a mortar. Mix the remaining sugar, anise, 30 g of salt and sprinkle them on breasts and fillets, from both sides. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for 2 hours.

– Dry the breasts and fillets with kitchen paper. Let it brown the breasts for 8 minutes on low heat in a non-stick pan, or greased with 1 tablespoon of oil, first on the skin side and turning them halfway through cooking. In the last 3-4 minutes add the fillets. Remove the meat from the pan is wrap it in aluminum.

– Put in the glass from Mix the potato into pieces, lemon zest, egg yolks, 60 g of oil e whisk to get one soda mayonnaise; set of salt. Discard the breasts and fillets, pour the sauce that has formed into the pan and let it reduce to high heat. Slice the breasts and serve with fillets, mayonnaise, sliced ​​radishes and meat sauce.

Easy – Preparation 20 minutes + rest – Cooking 20 minutes