Turning Chocolate on Its Head

Visit Bruges for Dominique Persoone's twist on the treat—with a hint of tobacco, wasabi or onions

By PAUL AMES

When a supplier to the Rolling Stones invites you to try the contraption he invented to facilitate the inhaling of powdered stimulants up both nostrils, it's perhaps wise to hesitate.

Kris Vlegels

Dominique Persoone

Thankfully, this is Belgium and Dominique Persoone's drug of choice is chocolate. In this case, he's pushing a finely ground dust of pure Dominican Republic cocoa cut with ginger and mint which his "chocolate shooter" catapults nose-ward to fill the brain with an explosion of phantom flavors.

Mr. Persoone is Belgium's most audacious chocolate maker, a self-styled "Shock-o-latier" who has shaken up the kingdom's delicious but tradition-bound world of pralines, cream-filled manons and cognac truffles, by stuffing bite-sized parcels of the finest chocolate with the likes of tobacco leaves, wasabi or fried onions.

"When you think about chocolate 20 years ago, it was a typical product for grandma's birthday. She already has everything, so what do you buy? A big box of chocolate," Mr. Persoone reflects. "I don't say those chocolates are bad, but the thing I'm very proud of is that I make some new creations, like the Coca-Cola one. My son is 11 years old and he loves it. It's a chocolate ganache with the flavor of cola. That's the first layer and the second layer is an almond praliné with sugar explosives so it's like when you drink Coca-Cola, you have the flavor and you have the fizz."

Mr. Persoone was born in Bruges in 1968. The medieval city on the damp polders of Flanders prides itself on its chocolate. It currently boasts more than 50 chocolatiers and its chocolate museum, which opened seven years ago, now draws more visitors that the city's renowned collections of Flemish art. Located in a 15th-century wine merchant's house, the Choco Story museum (www.choco-story.be) traces the history of chocolate from its origins as the sacred drink of the Mayas and Aztecs to Belgium's emergence as a cocoa-superpower after the Neuhaus family—Swiss immigrants in Brussels—confected the first chocolate-filled bonbons in the first years of the 20th century.

Piet de Kersgieter

Chocolate paint sold at his shop, the Chocolate Line, in Bruges

Mr. Persoone, however, wasn't immediately smitten by choco-mania. Instead, he headed off to Paris to train as a chef and it was researching techniques for making the perfect pain-au-chocolat in a Parisian bakery that rekindled his interest in all things cocoa.

He returned to Bruges in 1992 and opened his shop, the Chocolate Line, in the leafy Simon Stevinplein square between the cathedral and the 13th-century bell tower.

Mr. Persoone dreamed up the chocolate shooter when the wives of Ronnie Wood and Charlie Watts asked him to help prepare a surprise birthday party for their Rolling Stone husbands.

Piet de Kersgieter

: 'Creole' pralines made with bitter ganache of espresso coffee

"They asked us to put some jokes into the menu, so one of the things we did was make a dessert with different structures of raspberry. Instead of putting chocolate on the dish, because they were the rock 'n' roll grandpas, we thought they should sniff the chocolate and to get a good result we designed a machine for that," he says. "We just made one for that party, but then everybody talked about it in the newspapers, so then we had to make it commercial because everybody was asking for it." 

It would be easy to dismiss Mr. Persoone's creations as gimmicks that successfully lure a stream of tourists into his cosy little shop in the heart of historic Bruges. But behind his image as the world's wackiest chocolate maker since Willy Wonka, Mr. Persoone takes his chocolate very seriously. He collaborates with scientists to uncover new flavor combinations and uses only top quality natural ingredients, matching chocolate varieties sourced from around Latin America to complement his strange fillings.

Milk chocolate filled with bacon sounds scary. But Mr. Persoone subtly blends textures and flavors so the hints of salty, crispy fat complement the creamy chocolate. It's a similar story with his "Bollywood," which combines white chocolate with saffron and curry.

Piet de Kersgieter

Dominique Persoone's second shop has opened in nearby Antwerp on the Paleis op de Meir

"Cauliflower really matches with the bitter chocolate of Ecuador; it took time to find that balance, but foodies love it. Or look at this green one," he says, picking up a shiny, bitter-chocolate emerald. "It's made from passion fruit, green lemons and vodka. I only use real products, juice from passion fruit, skin of lime, a little bit of vodka. It's so fresh, it's so fruity."


That dedication to quality has earned Mr. Persoone the respect of some of the world's superstar chefs. He is on first name terms with Ferran Adrià and Heston Blumenthal. René Redzepi of Copenhagen's Noma sent his pastry chef to pick up tips in the Bruges chocolate factory and Sergio Herman of the three-star Oud Sluis in the Netherlands treats female guests with a complementary sample of one of the chocolatier's signature creations: a bar of caramel ganache filled with Cabernet Sauvignon vinegar and pine nuts.

"In the beginning, I was making classic chocolates, which I still make and still like very much, like pralinés, whipped cream, marzipans, all that stuff. But then I started using a little bit of my chef's influence on the chocolate. We made chocolate with cauliflower and chocolate with peas, chocolate with smoked salmon. In the beginning, everybody thought I was crazy...but little by little I got more respect from people who are into food. Then suddenly, I was one of the three chocolate makers who are in the Michelin Guide."
Says Mr. Herman: "Dominique comes up with ideas and flavor combinations that have never been done before. He is breaking all boundaries."

He got a tattoo on his right bicep proclaiming "chocolate is rock 'n' roll." Last year, Mr. Persoone opened a second store in Antwerp, taking over part of a former royal palace that once played host to Napoleon. In honor of the emperor, he makes a chocolate in the shape of his bicorne hat, filled with marzipan, cherry liquor and bitter banana cream.

As well as stretching the outer limits of the chocolate-maker's art, Mr. Persoone also embarked on a personal quest to discover the origins of the product which has become his passion. In 2008, he set out on a tour of Mexico in search of the original wild criollo cocoa beans that the Maya used to make their spiced drinks centuries before the arrival of Cortez.

Piet de Kersgieter

Pralines are being prepared in the factory

His expedition led him to write "Cacao," a book that's part travelogue, part history of chocolate, part recipe guide. Published in four languages by Editions Francoise Blouard in Brussels, it was selected as 2009 chocolate book of the year in the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in Paris. Mexico also inspired Mr. Persoone's popular "choc-tail," a thimble of lime-infused dark chocolate with a Maldon salt-encrusted rim that's served with a pipette of tequila.

The book's success has spawned a twice weekly show starring Mr. Persoone on Flemish television and a second trip to Latin America focused on Brazil, Panama and Costa Rica.

"In Europe, we learn there are three varieties of cocoa—criollo, forastero, trinitario—but I met a professor in São Paulo who told me that in the Amazon they've found already 24,000 different cocoa varieties," he says, emerging from a back room with a box of hand-grenade-sized pods from a plant closely related to cocoa harvested on his journey and a tray of his latest chocolate creation.

The Chocolate Line

Classic Easter eggs

"For me this is the most exiting: theobroma grandiflorum. In Brazil they call it cupuaçu. I was so exited about it, I bought a ton of them. We were able to ferment, to dry, to roast it and we made a kind of chocolate with it. We can't call it officially chocolate, we had to find a new name for it: cupolade. It is very new, I just served it two days ago and it is the first time we use it like this in Europe. Inside I made a filling with the pulp...taste it, in the beginning it's quite caramel and then you have like wild mushroom and then acidity of the bananas, all the acidity of the fruit. I really love it. And it is just the natural pulp."



Not all Mr. Persoone's experiments are so successful. He recalls how his scientist collaborator once explained that chocolate contains the same hormone released by the brain during an orgasm. "My idea was to make small Valentine hearts with an overdose of this love hormone. I thought it was a funny idea."

After several weeks of experimentation the results were promising. "Together with the scientist, we tasted it and the result was amazing. You can't walk any more you are just smiling you really get ... wow!" This particular delight was destined however never to reach the lovers of Bruges. "I thought I ought to call the food and drug administration. They said: "Dominique please, your sniffer, it's OK, but this is too much. It's dangerous." It seems it's the same hormone they use in medicine for people who are depressed."


He does have a few other products that explore chocolate's erotic potential: a dark chocolate lipstick designed originally for enlivening consumption of vanilla ice-cream, but also good for sweet kisses; and an edible chocolate paint developed for the American artist Spencer Tunick, who dribbled it over scores of naked women squeezed into a Bruges alley for one of his trademark mass nudity tableaux.

What is the "Shock-o-latier" planning for Easter? Chicken-filled eggs, Easter bunnies with real bunny?
"No, nothing like that. I'm very open minded and I really like to have fun, fun, fun and do crazy things, but Easter and St. Nicholas, those things are such a wonderful tradition. That's why I make very classic eggs and rabbits. Those important moments in the year for children, I think we chocolate makers have to show respect for that and it would be stupid to change."

 

 

In Tokyo Suburb, ‘Primitive’ Life After Quake

By Kana Inagaki

Getty Images

Temporary toilets are seen as the water supply has been suspended due to the liquefaction triggered by the 9.0 magnitude earthquake in Urayasu, Chiba on March 19.

Still wearing blue emergency overalls, Hideki Matsuzaki, the outspoken mayor of Urayasu, a seaside city near Tokyo, is still steering his community’s battle with the mammoth March 11 earthquake and ensuing damage.
More than a month after the disaster, residents in this town, the location of the Tokyo Disneyland theme park, are trying to come to grips with the vivid scars across the city, including warped roads, popped-up manholes and tilted houses caused by soil liquefaction.

 Yomiuri Shimbun/Associated Press

Soil liquefaction is seen in front of a police station in Urayasu on March 25.

What it was like when the earthquake struck on March 11? Was your home also damaged?
My house lost electricity, gas, water and plumbing – what I would call a quadruple whammy. My wife and daughter were out in Tokyo so  they couldn’t immediately get back home. When I arrived at my house, all the dishes in the kitchen were destroyed so it took until past 3 a.m. to pick up the broken pieces. Then my wife finally came home.


What was the biggest challenge you faced?
I’d say it was the destruction of our lifelines caused by the bigger-than-expected liquefaction. We’ve done emergency repairs for now, but a full recovery of the sewage system will take more than three years.  We’re like a primitive society not to be able to use the bathroom in this day and age. (As of Wednesday, nearly 300 households do not have functioning plumbing.)


Urayasu has long been known for soft grounds since it sits 75% on reclaimed land. Why did it take so long to restore water?
We knew our city was vulnerable to natural disasters. The name of our city, Urayasu (Ura means border between the waterfront and shore),  is already telling. It’s a city that prays for the coastlines to remain tranquil. That is why we had put so much energy into disaster prevention measures.


The weak grounds and some extent of liquefaction were within our expectations. But our preparations were based on a magnitude-7.5 earthquake (not magnitude-9.0). We don’t know why a quake with an epicenter in northeastern Japan had wrought so much damage to our city. This is all completely unexpected.


How do you feel about the government’s response? Has this affected the long delays in restoring the lifelines?
Both the national and prefectural governments have dragged their feet. We have been hit with rolling blackouts three times despite the fact that our area was affected by the disaster. They don’t see or feel our pain, but I guess in that sense I had a free hand without having to be bullied (by the government).


Are you concerned that the popularity of the city will decline?
I think land prices will fall over the next one or two years. But our condominiums were undamaged despite such a widespread liquefaction. If you think about it, it’s actually a “buy.” And this doesn’t change the fact that we are close to central Tokyo. We’re going to do our utmost to restore our city and make it stronger.

 

 

 

Quake Bogs Down a Tokyo Suburb

By KANA INAGAKI

URAYASU, Japan—More than a month after the devastating earthquake hit northern Japan, hundreds of residents in an upscale bedroom community near Tokyo still don't have functioning plumbing, causing the city's mayor to lash out at the national and prefectural governments for not responding quickly enough.

Associated Press

Soil liquefaction pushed manholes out of the ground in Urayasu.

Urayasu, a 20-minute train ride away from Tokyo Station, is akin to Westchester County in New York: close enough to the city to commute daily, but far enough away so people can afford to buy more-spacious homes.


But when the earthquake struck on March 11, the city, which is also home to Tokyo Disneyland, quickly sank into the ground and became submerged in mud, partly because 75% of it sits on reclaimed land. Tens of thousands of residents in this city with a population of 165,000 were deprived of water and natural gas for weeks following the quake. Tilted houses, warped roads and popped-up manholes are now strewn across the dust-covered city. As of Wednesday, about 140 households remain without running water in Chiba prefecture, while nearly 300 households in Urayasu are unable to shower or flush toilets due to broken or clogged sewage pipes.

Located about 190 miles south of the earthquake's epicenter, Urayasu was spared the tsunami but much of the wreckage was caused by soil liquefaction, which occurs when soil loses its strength because of an applied stress such as a temblor. The stress can be exacerbated in soft-clay soils and landfill areas.

No deaths were reported from the earthquake in Urayasu, where no apartment buildings collapsed. Tokyo Disneyland, which has been closed since the earthquake due to parking-lot damage and power shortages, is set to reopen Friday.

Kunie Fukuda, 64-year-old owner of a hair salon in Urayasu, said life without water had been hard, but she added the daily inconveniences pale in comparison to the sufferings in northern Japan. "We're right next to Tokyo so I didn't think it would take this long," she said.

"Both the national and prefectural governments have dragged their feet. We have been hit with rolling blackouts three times despite the fact that our area was affected by the disaster," said Hideki Matsuzaki, mayor of Urayasu, in an interview.

"They don't see or feel our pain," he said, though adding the city will need all the government and prefectural aid it can get to address the widespread liquefaction damage. Mr. Matsuzaki said the city estimates costs to repair basic infrastructure to reach at least ¥73.4 billion ($880 million), eclipsing its annual budget of ¥61.1 billion ($730 million). While the city will aim to complete emergency repair of the sewage system by Friday, he said it will take more than three years to fully restore and improve the infrastructure.

American Steve Marshall, a 45-year-old professional magician who has lived in Urayasu for 13 years, said he was thinking of moving back to Florida with his Japanese wife and two children after all his performances were canceled following the quake. "When I saw the black mud coming out, I knew this wasn't right. It was weird," he said. "Every time an earthquake comes, my heart will start pumping and my adrenaline will shoot up."

Mr. Marshall may not be alone in choosing to leave the city. A local real-estate agent said the company has received several cancellations of leases by South Koreans and Chinese, which make up the largest segment of the city's 3,800 foreigners.

Experts said another anticipated fallout from the liquefaction is a decline in Urayasu's property prices. Despite being known for soft grounds, the city has regularly ranked among the most popular Japanese residential areas, favored by young couples and relatively affluent families. From March to September, Takashi Ishizawa, a real-estate analyst at Mizuho Securities Co., projects the city's land prices to decline as much as 10% from a year earlier. In 2010, prices went up 1.1%, compared with a 2.7% decline in residential areas nationwide.


The road to full recovery will be long. In the immediate aftermath of the disaster, much of the electricity, gas and water were cut off in many districts across Chiba prefecture. Civil engineers said the magnitude of the quake, measuring 9.0, and repeated aftershocks accelerated the spread of liquefaction.

Susumu Yasuda, a professor at Tokyo Denki University, said that codes for sewage systems that address liquefaction were introduced in Japan only in 1981, which left older reclaimed land areas such as Urayasi—where the first construction began in 1964—vulnerable.

In neighboring Narashino, the liquefaction-damaged city has asked its residents to use only 75% of the available water at least until June, advising them, for example, to use plastic wraps over their plates to avoid washing them.

"We need as much money as possible, but it's hard to clear all the government standards to receive it," city official Haruo Suzuki said. He added that current reconstruction funds are limited since they can be used only to restore infrastructure to pre-disaster conditions, rather than for an upgrade.

 

 

Outdoor swimming: take to the wilds

By Gary King 7:00AM BST 26 Aug 2009

Forget splashing around in the local pool. For a real thrill, Gary King takes his children to discover the exhilaration of swimming in outdoor water holes 

Image 1 of 2

Outdoor types: Gary King with Seb and Bella  Photo: GUZELIAN

 

After four hours of travelling we pull up in the car park of William Wordsworth’s former home, Rydal Mount in the Lake District. My children Seb, 10, and Bella, 7, have reached that point in a car journey where squabbling starts. “I thought that you said we were going swimming,” they chorus.

I explain that we’re just waiting to meet the person who will be taking us.

“What’s wrong with down there?”

They are staring back down the valley at Lake Windermere. It snakes away in a glorious glittering arc and is framed by dense, verdant foliage. It looks especially inviting after our long journey.

I’m saved from having to clarify further by the arrival of Kate Rew, founder of the Outdoor Swimming Society and our chaperone for the day. She strides across the car park, backpack slung over her shoulder in walking boots, khaki shorts and damp, tousled hair. She has already been swimming this morning.

She plucks a map from her backpack, traces a line with her finger and says, “I’ve never been here before so I don’t know what it’s going to be like. Hopefully there will be rock pools and waterfalls.” The children run ahead as we wind up a steep trail into the Cumbrian countryside away from the more obvious choice of Lake Windermere. Dry stone walls criss-cross the rolling hills, sheep dart across our path and the gush of running water peals across the landscape.

After a mile we cut across a field and the trickle of a stream gets progressively louder until we see a pool about 30 feet across being fed by a burbling waterfall.

Rew formed the OSS in 2006 after taking a swim in nearby Lake Buttermere in late October. It was a pivotal moment in her life. “It was one of those dark and stormy nights,” she says. “I’d just arrived in the Lake District and I was determined to take the plunge regardless of the weather. It was fantastic and I thought to myself that everybody should do this. So many things in life tend to disappoint and outdoor swimming isn’t one of them.”

The ethos behind the OSS is simple; find somewhere to swim outdoors, get in, have fun and spread the word. Three years later there is a thriving community of over 4,500 members made up of all ages and abilities. They regularly meet for organised swims all over the country and anybody is welcome.

“It can get pretty nippy up here so I suggest the children wear their wetsuits,” says Kate as we peel off our clothes. When I mention that I also have mine she raises an eyebrow and says: “You’ll look a right wimp in that.” So sporting nothing more than a pair of swimming trunks, I tiptoe across the coarse grass to the edge of the pool. I’m sure Wordsworth himself must have sat by this very spot staring at the clouds and pondering the wonder of life. Whether he ever stripped down to his bloomers and jumped in is another question.

Poised on the edge I leap in and the effect is immediate. It’s cold, bracing, refreshing, invigorating. The children follow suit, laughing and hollering, their car-induced angst instantly washed away.
It’s not long before we’re joined by another family. In the space of 20 minutes Kate has recruited four more members, taken tips on other spots and swapped telephone numbers.

“The OSS is a social network, so much of what we do is about connecting people who have a common love. It’s all about giving the water back to the people. It’s there to be explored and enjoyed.” Fittingly, as she says this Seb and Bella leap in together and disappear under the glassy surface for a couple of seconds. They emerge grinning broadly and give us a thumbs up before scrambling out to jump straight back in again.

For more information visit www.outdoorswimmingsociety.com. 'Wild Swim’ by Kate Rew is available through Telegraph Books for £11.99 + £1.25 p&p. Call 0844 871 1515 or visit books.telegraph.co.uk

________________________________________________________________

OUTDOOR SWIMMING TIPS 

1 Don’t hang around with cold water lapping your ankles. Take the plunge.

2 In high-up streams and lakes it may be cold at first. So exhale, swim to a nearby tree or rock, puff a bit and within a minute or so you’ll feel the warmth charging around your body.

3 Always ask locals before getting in. Teenage boys tend to have a wealth of knowledge.

4 Take lots of warm clothes, even in the summer. Getting chilly is fine, as long as you can warm up afterwards.

5 Increase your time outdoors gradually, you’ll acclimatise to the cold and be able to stay in the water increasingly longer.

6 Have fun, take in your surroundings, lie back and look at the clouds or study tree roots. Swimming outdoors doesn’t have to be at the same pace as pool swimming.

 

 

 

 

Chicken skewers with lime, chilli and mint, and oriental salad recipe

By Diana Henry 7:00AM BST 10 Apr 2011

Seared chicken skewers marinaded in lime, chilli and mint and served with a crunchy oriental salad 

Chicken skewers with lime, chilli and mint, and oriental salad Photo: ANDREW TWORT

 

Serves six 
 

For the chicken
12 boned and skinned chicken thighs
1½ tbsp groundnut oil
juice of 1 lime

For the marinade
grated zest of 4 limes
juice of 6 limes
2 red chillis, deseeded and shredded
3 tbsp soy sauce
½ tbsp fish sauce
6 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp chopped mint
freshly ground black pepper

For the dressing
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
½ tbsp fish sauce
juice of 1 lime
2 tsp ginger syrup
1 tbsp chopped peanuts (optional)
2 tbsp groundnut oil

For the salad
10 radishes, cut into matchsticks
5 Chinese leaves, cut into shreds
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
15g (½oz) coriander, torn
leaves from 4 sprigs mint
75g (2¾oz) mizuna or watercress
35g (1¼oz) pea shoots or rose radish sprouts
lime wedges, to serve

Soak six long or 12 short wooden skewers in just-boiled water for 30 minutes. Cube the chicken. Make the marinade by mixing together all the ingredients for it. Put in the chicken, turning it over to make sure it is all coated, cover and refrigerate for one to four hours.

To make the dressing whisk together all the ingredients except the oil. The sugar should dissolve in the lime juice. Now add the oil. Prepare the salad vegetables.

Thread the chicken on to the skewers and shake off any excess marinade. Heat the oil in a large frying-pan (big enough for the chicken to lie flat). Alternatively heat a dry griddle pan and use the oil to paint the chicken. Cook on all sides until the chicken is cooked through, starting on a high heat to get a good colour all over then turning the heat down. The whole process takes about 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper and squeeze over some lime juice.

Toss the salad with the dressing and serve with the skewers. Offer extra wedges of lime on the side and plain boiled rice.

 

 

Crowd-pleasing chicken recipes for spring

By Diana Henry 7:01AM BST 10 Apr 2011

Got fussy eaters in the house? Cook chicken and everyone's happy, says Diana Henry 

Chicken with yogurt and pomegranate Photo: ANDREW TWORT

 

It's had a rough ride of late, the chicken, mostly because of how it's farmed. Is it OK to eat a Freedom Food bird? Does organic also mean free-range? I was shocked to discover, while eating round Scandinavia a few years back, that Swedes and Norwegians regard chicken as fast food. They feel as guilty about offering it to their children as they would about giving them a burger. I regularly put a chicken in my fridge, however, blessing its existence. Every week I feed my own children, plus often my partner's as well. Weekends see family gatherings of anything from six to 14 people, ranging in age from five to 85 years old. Within this there are picky eaters (five-year-old Gillies, who would eat penne with tuna at every meal if he could), adventurous eaters (10-year-old Celia, who would probably try Mexican ant eggs) and the not-that-bothered (78-year-old Martin, who would rather read poetry than eat anything). I know, though, that they will all dig into chicken with relish.

The other complaint – that it is bland – is hard to understand. No, it isn't grouse (thank God). It isn't pheasant, either. But the 'blandness' (which is more the lack of a strong flavour) is partly its virtue. It's why even the most hard-to-please enjoy it. Anyway, who can eat a griddled chicken thigh – juicy, slightly charred, seasoned with garlic, black pepper and flakes of sea salt – and not purr with pleasure?

Chicken takes well to all sorts of flavours and techniques: its flesh soaks up soy sauce; its skin becomes burnished with honey; it can lie in a delicate sauce of cream and chervil, or be skewered and marinated with pomegranate molasses, cayenne and garlic. I cook it in all seasons, but I have a particular appetite for it in spring when brighter, zingier dishes are required. In the past month I've made old-fashioned poulet bonne femme (white wine, shallots and button mushrooms), a Scandinavian braise with leeks, waxy potatoes and dill, an Eastern stew of thighs with chilli, coriander and coconut milk and a warm salad of torn chicken, olive-oil-fried sourdough, watercress and dried cherries.

Once I'd made the skewers below I went skewer-mad, marinating the meat Indian style in yogurt, garlic and ginger, or Middle Eastern style in cumin, cayenne, olive oil and lemon. The picky eaters were happy, the greedy eaters were happy. I haven't spent long preparing these dishes and it hasn't cost much. Take the advice of campaigners and buy birds farmed with care, but when you hear one of the 'cognoscenti' complaining it doesn't taste of anything, just yawn. And heat your griddle for another load of skewers. 

 

 

How to keep hens happy

By Francine Raymond 12:00PM BST 12 Apr 2011

A garden without lifestock is a dull and dreary place argues Francine Raymond 

Poultry passion: Francine Raymond and Buff Orpingtons at her former home Photo: FRANCINE RAYMOND; MARTIN POPE

 

Much as I love the excitement of my new garden, there is one thing I really miss: the drama, colour and movement of a flock of hens.

A garden without some kind of livestock is a dull and dreary place, so come September I hope to buy three new Buff Orpington pullets. Although I’m not a beginner in the true sense of the word, having kept hens for more than 15 years and become a bit of a bore on the subject, the process of choosing new birds and preparing for their arrival is one I’d like to share with you, hopefully passing on my passion for poultry.

The Hen House
 

Looking out on my garden, I have decided to site their run so that the birds will enjoy the afternoon sun, the shelter of an ancient birch with a solid fence behind them and access to my new orchard.

Hens need shade and shelter from the elements, and safety from predators. I intend to fence the run with chestnut posts and bird-proof wire, bringing the wire out into an apron, and pegging it down to prevent digging intruders. I’m not sure whether I’ll need a roof (I have heard tales of foxes, but not their shrieks), so I will make the posts tall enough to take one if needs be, with room for me to stand up straight.

I’m hoping my son Jacques will build me the ultimate palais de poulets. My design brief would include instructions that the henhouse be made of marine ply – lapped wood houses mean too many hidey holes for nasty parasitic mites; an Onduline roof – roofing felt offers similar insect accommodation; that the house should sit on legs with ramp access for its occupants – offering a purpose-built hen dust bath underneath, limited shelter to rats, and easier on my back when mucking out.

It would be fun to paint it in similar colours to my house, even to a similar design. Generally, I don’t recommend those with recently planted gardens embark on keeping free-range birds, but I’m hoping to outwit mine with years of experience gardening with hens.

Firstly I shall contain them in my wild garden and orchard – ideal territory because chickens descend from junglefowl and like a bosky spot, and everything I plant will have its roots protected from scratching feet by pebbles or its delicate shoots from pecking beaks by cloches and nets.

My vegetable beds and seating/eating area will be out of bounds so I can grow salads un-nibbled, and we can relax in a chicken poo-free environment.

Breeds
 
Take care buying your first birds: they are the basis of your future flock. Read a book, go on a course, consult the poultry press, then visit breeders and shows to help decide which breed you like.

If eggs are your priority, then go for commercial hybrids or top-laying pure breeds like Welsummers, Marans or Light Sussex, but remember, hens that lay for Britain eat for Britain, and if what’s on offer is your garden… So plenty of space away from precious plants is a prerequisite.

If you’re more interested in fowl aesthetics or the pleasure of their company, then Orpingtons, Brahmas, Silkies and Pekins make good family companions and disinterested gardeners. Start small with two or three hens; you can always get others as your ladies produce fewer eggs, or even with time hatch out a few yourself from bought-in eggs. Stunning as they are, I never recommend cockerels to beginners.

Choose a local breeder who has been recommended and visit before buying. Leave auctions and the internet to seasoned buyers, and don’t be bullied into accepting cockerels or second best.

Look for healthy birds with perky heads and tails, shiny eyes and pinkish combs, smooth legs and shiny feathers. Spring-hatched chicks are best as they’ll have the summer to grow outdoors, so get ready to welcome your new pullets at point of lay – POL (24 weeks of age) – towards the beginning of autumn. That will give you time to site your run and build or buy your house.

Keeping hens is great fun for the whole family. They’ll have a good life strutting around your garden, the soil will benefit from their manure, pests and weeds will be kept to a minimum and wildlife will increase. Children learn a lot from their flock – and believe me, there is nothing quite like a really fresh, home-laid egg.

Read the top 10 questions about keeping hens here

Look at a slideshow of the top 10 pure breed hens here

Francine is giving a hen keeping course especially for Sunday Telegraph readers on Wednesday, April 20 at Blackthorpe House & Design in Rougham, near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. To book call 01359 270 996 or email susie@blackthorpedesign.com (b&b is available)

For more information, books (such as 'Keeping a Few hens in your Garden’ by Francine Raymond) and poultry products, see www.kitchen-garden-hens.co.uk and join the Henkeepers’ Association, a source of online information for people who keep poultry for pleasure.

Hen house makers: Domestic Fowl Trust, 01386 833083; www.domesticfowltrust.co.uk; Forsham Cottage Arks, 01233 820229; www.forshamcottagearks.com. Blown Goose Egg Supplier: www.eggstravaganza.co.uk; 01642 372 6000.