Jambon à la Chanoinesse

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •4-quart (3.8 L) snug cocotte or Dutch oven with lid
• •5- to 6-quart (4.7 to 5.7 L) pot for poaching and noodles
• •2-quart (1.9 L) heavy saucepan
• •Immersion blender
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Fat separator or shallow skimming ladle
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Parchment paper for the cartouche
• •Warmed platter, shallow serving dish, and sauce boat

Instructions

1. 1

   Poach the ham gently

   Put the raw cured ham in a pot just large enough to hold it and cover with the cold water. Bring the water slowly to a bare tremble, skimming away any grey foam, then hold it between 180 and 185°F (82 and 85°C), never at a rolling boil. Poach until the centre reaches 122 to 130°F (50 to 54°C), usually 50 to 70 minutes after the water becomes hot. If the water boils, lower the heat and add a cup of cold water; the ham is not ruined, but hard boiling tightens the meat and drives out too much salt. Lift it out and pat it dry.

   This recipe requires a raw cured joint, often sold as gammon. A ready-to-eat or spiral-sliced ham has already completed its cooking and will dry out under this two-stage method.
2. 2

   Reduce the home demi-glace

   While the ham poaches, put 3 cups (720 ml / 720 g) of the unsalted veal stock in a wide saucepan. Simmer steadily, skimming when necessary, until reduced to about ¾ cup (180 ml / 180 g) and glossy enough to leave a light film on a spoon, 35 to 50 minutes. This concentrated stock is the honest home equivalent of the demi-glace a saucier would have ready. Keep the remaining 1 cup (240 ml / 240 g) stock unsalted and unreduced for balancing the finished sauce.

3. 3

   Make the Soubise purée

   Melt 3 tablespoons (45 ml / 42 g) of the butter in a covered saucepan over low heat. Add the onions and ¼ teaspoon of the salt, cover them with a round of parchment, and cook gently for 15 minutes without browning. Add the rice and ½ cup (120 ml / 120 g) water, cover again, and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, until both onion and rice collapse under a spoon. If a small patch catches, transfer the pale onions to a clean pan immediately and leave the browned patch behind. Blend with the cream, 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 28 g) butter, and the white pepper, then press through a fine-mesh sieve. The immersion blender and sieve replace the brigade's pounding and tamis, while preserving the silky purée the dish requires. Keep it covered and warm.

4. 4

   Braise in white wine

   Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). If the ham has a rind, lift it off while warm from poaching, leaving a thin layer of fat; retie the joint if it loses its shape. Set the ham in a snug cocotte, add the white wine and mushroom parings, and cover the surface with a parchment cartouche before putting on the lid. Braise for 35 to 50 minutes, turning and basting once, until the centre reaches at least 145°F (63°C). Remove the ham as soon as it reaches temperature, cover loosely, and rest it for 15 minutes. Extra time doesn't improve a cured leg once it is cooked; it only squeezes out moisture.

5. 5

   Clear and reduce sauce

   Strain the braising liquor into a fat separator or clean saucepan, pressing the mushroom parings lightly, then remove every visible trace of fat. Combine the cleared liquor with the reduced home demi-glace and simmer until the sauce coats the back of a spoon and yields about 1¼ cups (300 ml / 300 g). Taste from the beginning because the ham has seasoned the wine. If the sauce becomes salty before it develops body, add the reserved unsalted stock a few tablespoons at a time and simmer only until the gloss returns; ça se rattrape. If it becomes too thick, loosen it with the same stock. Do not hide a greasy liquor under flour or butter. Degreasing and reduction are the sauce.

6. 6

   Bind the fresh noodles

   Bring the fresh water to a boil and season it with most of the remaining salt. Cook the wide noodles until tender but still resilient, usually 2 to 4 minutes, then reserve 1 cup (240 ml / 240 g) cooking water and drain. Return the noodles to the warm pot, toss first with the remaining 3 tablespoons (45 ml / 43 g) butter, then fold in the warm Soubise purée until every ribbon is coated and the noodles hold together softly. If they tighten into a heavy mass, loosen them with reserved cooking water, one spoonful at a time. Fold in half the truffle julienne and scatter the rest over the top.

7. 7

   Carve and serve separately

   Remove the twine and carve the rested ham across the grain into generous slices. Arrange them on a warmed platter, transfer the Soubise-bound noodles to a separate warmed serving dish, and pour the sauce into a warmed sauce boat, exactly as the composed service intends. Let each guest take ham, noodles, and sauce at the table so the noodles keep their buttered texture and the reduced liquor remains distinct. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Taste the cured ham before planning the poach. If the producer calls for soaking, cover it with cold water for 4 to 12 hours in the refrigerator and change the water once. A mildly cured joint can go directly into the poaching pot.
• •Use truly unsalted, gelatin-rich veal stock. Boxed beef stock is often both thin and salty, precisely the two qualities that become troublesome when reduced beside cured ham.
• •Fresh black truffle is magnificent when the season gives it. At other times, a small whole preserved Périgord truffle is the classical pantry's honest answer; drain it well and cut it julienne-fashion. Truffle oil doesn't behave or taste like the ingredient named in the dish.
• •Pour a dry white wine with enough acidity to meet the ham and butter, such as a restrained white Burgundy or dry Chenin Blanc. The cooking wine should be equally dry and pleasant, though it needn't be costly.
• •Refrigerate leftover ham, sauce, and noodles in separate covered containers within 2 hours. The ham and sauce keep for 3 days; reheat the sauce gently and loosen it with unsalted stock if it has set firmly.

Advance Preparation

• •The ham may be poached one day ahead. Cool it promptly, cover, and refrigerate; allow extra braising time the next day so the centre reaches 145°F (63°C) without boiling the wine.
• •The reduced veal stock and Soubise purée may be prepared up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated separately. Reheat the Soubise over low heat with a spoonful of cream or water, whisking until smooth.
• •Cut the truffle julienne shortly before serving and keep it covered. Its scent is strongest when the fine matchsticks meet the warm noodles at the table.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 540g)