Monday, December 28, 2009

The Third Day of Christmas

On the third day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.


On the third day of Christmas, your true love gave you…chickens. Female chickens, or hens, to be precise. But not just any hens--French hens. Ohh la la!

Chickens are one of the most popular domesticated animals in the world. There are hundreds of hybrids, but Wikipedia lists six types in the category "French chicken breeds": Bresse, Crèvecœur, Faverolles, Houdan, La Flèche, and Marans. I wonder if the author of the song had a particular breed in mind?

I don't know about you, but when I think of chicken, I think of dinner. However, I wasn't in the mood for elaborate French food, so I decided to go with a simple Oriental-inspired meal. In honor of today's hens I baked some frozen popcorn chicken and served it with spicy mustard, stir fried broccoli with garlic and a bit of sesame oil, and cooked some rice.

Somehow I think the chickens would approve.

4 comments:

  1. I am reading with anticipation as you work these gifts in......

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  2. There are these chickens that roam about the side of the road near where I live, and I've always wondered about the wisdom of that. I can't understand why their owners don't pull them in. Get them a leash. Or something.

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  3. Stewart, sounds like quite a rural area. I think it would be funny to see a chicken leash-trained.

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