I went to the Marché St. Quentin today, and this is what greeted me at the door:
They were pretty impressive pieces of meat, but it was the poultry that really caught my eye. One purveyor had a stunning assortment of birds.
You’ll notice that the heads and feet are still on and, in the case of this poularde de Bresse, quite a lot of plumage.
That’s all pretty normal for France, and in many cases those features say something about the provenance or breed of the bird.
Now, I’m not really squeamish about this stuff, but this duck is really freaking me out:
I got a few coquelets to make for dinner tonight. Here’s one of their older brothers:
Next time maybe I’ll get a rabbit.
Marché St. Quentin 85 bis blvd Magenta, Paris 75010, open Tuesday through Sunday.
For a list of all the markets in Paris go here.
To see more photos of food in Paris, visit my Flickr stream
You said (rather accurately) that the marché is not safe for vegetarians, but neither is your post here !
Definitely pick up a rabbit!
What a beautiful market, makes me feel closer to the farms. I would love to see the purveyors in Union Square try to sell their meats like this. I know most Americans find heads intact on that night’s dinner disturbing, but I find it kind of refreshing and wholesome (although you’re right, that staring duck IS creepy); its a good reminder that dinner was actually a living, breathing creature at one point.
Those birds were delicious. You have a way with tiny… erm… you’re a wonderful cook.
Kerrin – You know I put a warning in the excerpt on the main page but anyone who went straight to the post would have missed it. Oops.
Connie – This market is actually kinda dingy, with a few great stands and some others that are frankly depressing. It’s still fun, though. Also, unlike the Greenmarket system in NYC, very few of the market purveyors in Paris are actually producers.
Meg – That’s what he said.
Great photo!