The Absolute Best Type Of Chicken, According To Chef Jacques Pépin

Chicken is one of the most popular proteins that just about everyone has had at some point in their life. Whether it's the ever-delicious chicken nuggets, wings (especially on game days), or shredded chicken in a chicken salad, the list goes on just about forever. Of all those to prepare chicken, very few compare to the great French chef and artist, Jacques Pépin. Chef Pépin has a slew of accolades for his lifetime's work, earning 16 James Beard awards, France's Legion of Honor, and even a Lifetime Emmy. To add to his impressive resume, he has also written over 30 cookbooks.

Pépin's love for chicken has evolved past cooking and has entered into the world of art. In fact, Pépin has a collection of watercolor paintings, and even has a website where he has his art for sale. Something you may not have guessed is that his artistic style is a blend of abstract and portraits of animals and objects. Can you guess one of his favorite subjects? As you can imagine, chickens are one of his recurring themes. He also enjoys painting other farm animals and even fruits and vegetables. If you look through his artwork, you'll also notice pieces of art combining them all. Interestingly, the famous French chef actually has a favorite kind of chicken, and the answer may surprise you.

The American Poultry Association counts a total of 53 different types of large chicken breeds. Apart from that, there's not very many records of all the world's chicken breeds. Some estimate the count of breeds to be in the hundreds. Plymouth Rock chickens are widely-beloved due to their calm demeanor, while New Hampshire Reds chickens are known for producing tasty eggs. Out of all the chicken breeds that are out there in the world, it may be hard to choose a favorite.

If you ask Jacques Pépin what the absolute best type of chicken is, his answer is a tad bit biased. Pépin was born in Bourg-en-Bresse, France, and to him the Bresse chickens are some of the greatest chickens in France. An added bonus is that Bresse chickens are white and have blue feet and a red comb, which happen to be the colors of the French flag, per NPR. There are many ways to appreciate chicken, and luckily for the bird, not all the ways to enjoy them involve cooking the perfect chicken in the kitchen. They also make great pets because they lay eggs!