Poularde à l’Anglaise

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Snug 6 to 8 qt heavy pot with lid
• •Wide saucepan for reducing the poaching liquor
• •2 to 3 qt saucepan for Béchamel
• •Small Parisienne scoop or ½-inch melon baller
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Kitchen twine
• •Large oval serving platter

Instructions

1. 1

   Lemon and truss

   Remove the giblets and pat the poularde dry. Rub the cut lemon over the breast skin directly above both fillets, coating the surface lightly but thoroughly; this is the classical protection against discoloration, not a marinade. Fold the wing tips beneath the back, draw the legs close to the body, and tie them firmly with kitchen twine. A compact bird cooks evenly and keeps its shape beneath the sauce.

   Rub with lemon immediately before trussing. Leaving the bird wet with juice for a long rest begins to cure the surface and does nothing useful for the meat.
2. 2

   Poach without boiling

   Set the poularde in a snug heavy pot with the onion, leek, celery stalk, bouquet garni, peppercorns, and 2 teaspoons of the salt. Add about 3 qt (2.8 L / 2.8 kg) of the water, or enough to cover the bird. Bring the liquid up slowly, skim away the grey foam, then lower the heat until the surface barely trembles at 180 to 185°F (82 to 85°C). Partially cover and poach for 45 to 60 minutes, turning the bird once, until the thickest breast reaches 165°F (74°C) and the inner thigh reaches at least 170°F (77°C). If the pot breaks into a boil, lift it off the heat and add a cup of cold water from the measured allowance. Wait for the violence to stop, then return it over gentler heat. Ça se rattrape.

   The clock is guidance, but the thermometer decides. A true poularde may take longer than a smaller market chicken because its breast is fuller and its layer of fat thicker.
3. 3

   Shape the garnish

   While the bird poaches, use a small Parisienne scoop to cut the carrots and turnips into balls about ½ inch (1.25 cm) across. Save the irregular trimmings for soup. Cut the celery hearts into even batons and separate any peas that have frozen together. Lay out the tongue slices so the platter can be assembled while everything is warm.

4. 4

   Reduce the essence

   Lift the cooked poularde carefully, drain the cavity over the pot, and cover the bird loosely while it rests. Strain the poaching liquor, measure 2 cups (480 ml / 480 g) into a wide saucepan, and boil it briskly until only ½ cup (120 ml / 120 g) remains, about 12 to 18 minutes. It should smell unmistakably of chicken and leave a light savor on the lips. This is the essence de volaille, the honest home equivalent of the concentrated chicken essence a permanent stockpot once supplied.

5. 5

   Build the Béchamel

   Reserve ¼ cup (60 ml / 60 g) of the warm milk for adjustment. Melt the butter over low heat, stir in the flour, and cook this white roux for 2 minutes without letting it colour. Whisk in the remaining milk a little at a time, making each addition smooth before adding the next, then simmer gently for 8 minutes. Whisk in the essence de volaille and white pepper, then cook until the Béchamel reaches nappe, meaning it coats the back of a spoon in an even ivory layer. If it lumps, take it off the heat and whisk firmly; if stubborn lumps remain, press it through a fine sieve and return it to gentle heat. If it is pasty, add the reserved milk by spoonfuls. If it runs like milk, simmer it a little longer.

6. 6

   Cook à l’anglaise

   Bring the remaining water to a full boil with the remaining 2 tablespoons salt. Cook each vegetable separately so its flavour and colour remain distinct: turnip balls for 6 to 8 minutes, carrot balls for 7 to 9 minutes, celery for 3 to 4 minutes, and peas for 90 seconds if frozen or 2 to 3 minutes if fresh. Lift each batch out with a skimmer as soon as it is tender, drain it thoroughly on a clean towel, and keep it covered. Let the water return to a full boil before adding the next vegetable. This plain cooking in water is à l’anglaise, and the clarity is intentional.

7. 7

   Warm and coat

   Warm the tongue slices for 30 seconds in a little reserved poaching liquor, then drain them well. Remove the twine from the poularde and place the bird breast up on a warmed oval platter. Check the Béchamel once more; if it tightened while the vegetables cooked, whisk in a spoonful of warm milk. Pour enough sauce over the bird to cover it completely in a smooth ivory coat, letting a little pool beneath without flooding the platter.

8. 8

   Build the platter

   Lay six slices of salted tongue tile-fashion along each side of the poularde, overlapping them like roof tiles. Make two compact heaps of carrot and turnip balls at one end, then two heaps of peas and celery at the other. Keep the colours separate and leave the tongue visible rather than burying everything under sauce. Bring any remaining Béchamel in a warm sauceboat, carve the bird at the table, and serve at once. À table!

Chef Tips

• •A true poularde is a fattened young hen with a full breast and generous layer of delicate fat. If your butcher cannot supply one, choose a plump air-chilled chicken near 4½ lb (2 kg). The result will be a little leaner, so vigilance at the poach matters even more.
• •Buy fully cooked salted beef or ox tongue from a proper delicatessen or butcher and ask for thin, broad slices. Ham is not an invisible substitution; it lacks the tongue's dense texture and particular cured savor.
• •The melon baller is the home answer to a commis turning every carrot and turnip by knife. Uniform size matters because the pieces must finish together. Perfect geometry does not.
• •Frozen peas are the honest choice outside their brief season. They were picked sweet and need only a short boil; thawing first makes them soft before they reach the platter.
• •The Béchamel should cloak, not bury. It needs enough body to remain on the curved breast, but it should still move when the platter is carried.
• •Serve with a restrained dry white such as Mâcon-Villages or another lightly oaked Chardonnay. The wine needs enough body for the Béchamel without overwhelming the poached chicken.

Advance Preparation

• •The carrots and turnips can be shaped up to 8 hours ahead and held separately in cold water in the refrigerator. Drain them before cooking. Cut celery can be wrapped in a damp towel and chilled for the same period.
• •The salted tongue may be sliced a day ahead, covered closely, and refrigerated. Let it lose its hard chill before warming it briefly in the poaching liquor.
• •The poularde may be poached up to 4 hours before dinner. Cool and refrigerate it within 2 hours, reserve the strained liquor separately, then reheat the bird gently in liquor held below a simmer until its center reaches 165°F (74°C).
• •Béchamel may be held for up to 4 hours with buttered parchment pressed directly against its surface. Reheat it over low heat, whisking frequently, and loosen it with warm milk only after it is fully hot.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 670g)