Sean Ring’s chickens will restore your faith in fowl.
On a hilltop outside of Castlecomer in County Kilkenny, Sean Ring is producing some of the finest free range chickens to be found on this Island.
His chickens are allowed to mature for 12 weeks before slaughter, producing a larger bird with a wonderful flavour. Production is on a relatively small scale and the feed is UFAS (Universal Feed Assurance Scheme) approved. The slaughtering is handled at the much-respected Skeaghanore Duck farm in West Cork, a firm whose own practices are exemplary.
Visiting Sean's farm reveals large barns that open onto extensive free range pasture and orchards that the birds are free to roam around. In more recent times, Sean has added the Black Silkie to his flock and this premium bird has been endorsed by Mickael Viljanen, of The Greenhouse Restaurant in Dublin, amongst others, as having the finest flavour of any chicken he has ever tried. Sold with both head and feet, it’s a reminder of the fowls of yesteryear – the flavour is deep, sweet and resonant, and the almost-wild, gamey taste is startling.
Aside from the Black Silkies, Sean’s other birds are Ross fowl and, whilst not as distinctive as the Silkies, their careful rearing produces a most splendid bird.
So, look out for the fowl with the beak and the feet, and make sure to make a lovely, gelatinous stock using those chicken feet.
Ring’s Farm Chicken, Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny 083 116 1774
