Poularde Chimay

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •5-quart heavy lidded casserole, preferably oval
• •Large pot for half-poaching the noodles
• •12-inch wide sauté pan
• •Instant-read or probe thermometer
• •Fine-mesh strainer and gravy separator
• •Kitchen twine

Instructions

1. 1

   Ready the poularde

   Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Have the home-scale Poëlings (No. 250) ready in a heavy covered casserole that holds the bird closely. Pat the poularde dry inside and out, then season the cavity and skin with 2 teaspoons of the salt and all the pepper. A dry skin takes colour; a wet one merely grows damp beneath the lid.

   Choose a casserole with only a little space around the bird. Too broad a pot lets the butter and vegetable juices spread thin and scorch before they can perfume the poularde.
2. 2

   Half-poach the noodles

   Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season it with the remaining salt. Add the filling noodles and cook them for half their usual time, generally 45 to 60 seconds for thin fresh noodles. They should bend without breaking but retain a firm, pale core. Drain immediately and shake them thoroughly dry, then toss them with the melted butter and cream. If liquid collects beneath them, drain it away; a wet filling turns the cavity into a braise.

   If the noodles have already gone completely tender, don't bury them in the bird and hope. Reserve them for another plate and begin again with fresh noodles. This half-cooking is the dish, not brigade scaffolding.
3. 3

   Fold and stuff

   Let the dressed noodles cool until just warm, then fold in the cold foie gras dice with two or three gentle turns. Spoon the mixture loosely into the cavity without compressing it; the noodles need room to finish cooking. Truss the legs and tuck the wing tips beneath the bird. Cook it at once. Stuffed poultry should never wait about while the oven warms.

4. 4

   Poêler under cover

   Set the stuffed bird into the prepared casserole and follow Poëlings (No. 250) through its covered butter-cooking stage. Roast gently for 50 to 60 minutes, basting twice with the fragrant butter in the casserole. Add no water, wine, or stock during this stage. Moistening it now would make a braise, while poêling concentrates the flavour of the bird in butter.

5. 5

   Brown and test

   Uncover the casserole, raise the oven to 375°F (190°C), and baste once more. Roast for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the skin is richly burnished and a thermometer reaches 165°F (74°C) in both the centre of the stuffing and the innermost thigh without touching bone. If the temperatures are correct but the skin remains pale, place the bird under the broiler for one or two minutes, watching without interruption. The home broiler is the honest equivalent of a salamander. Transfer the poularde to a warm platter and rest it loosely tented for 20 minutes.

6. 6

   Thicken the liquor

   While the bird rests, complete the sauce stage of Poëlings (No. 250), using the butter-rich cooking liquor and vegetables in the casserole. Strain and defat the liquor as directed, then return up to 1½ cups (350 ml) to a small saucepan and bring it to a gentle simmer. Knead the softened butter and flour into a smooth beurre manié, then whisk it into the liquor in small pinches until the sauce lightly coats a spoon. Simmer for two minutes to cook out the flour. If it turns lumpy, strain it; if it tightens too far, loosen it with a spoonful of the remaining liquor. If fat floats on top, let the sauce settle for a minute and skim it clean. Ça se rattrape.

7. 7

   Sauté the raw noodles

   Separate the uncooked garnish noodles into loose strands. Heat half the clarified butter in a wide sauté pan over medium-high heat, then sauté half the noodles, tossing and turning them until fully cooked, crisp at the edges, and deep butter-gold, about 3 to 5 minutes. Repeat with the remaining butter and noodles. If the noodles clump and drink the fat, lift them out, reheat the butter until lively, and return them in a thinner layer. Drain briefly and season with a small pinch of salt.

8. 8

   Coat and serve

   Spoon enough thickened poëling liquor over the rested poularde to give the skin a generous gloss without drowning its colour. Distribute the crisp sautéed noodles copiously over the breast and around the bird, leaving some burnished skin visible. Pour the remaining sauce into a warm sauceboat and serve it alongside. Present the poularde whole, then carve it at the table so each plate receives meat, creamy stuffed noodles, crisp noodles, and sauce. À table!

Chef Tips

• •A poularde is a plump young hen with enough fat to remain tender through gentle covered cooking. If your butcher can't supply one, use a well-fleshed young chicken of the same weight. Technique first, always.
• •Use firm foie gras from a terrine or torchon, well chilled before dicing. Mousse disappears into the cream, while warm foie gras smears and melts before the stuffing reaches the bird.
• •Fresh, thin egg noodles are essential for the crisp crown because they can cook through while they sauté. Dried noodles cannot be scattered raw into butter and expected to behave.
• •The poëling sauce should nappe, meaning it leaves a light coat on the back of a spoon. Thick like gravy is too far; loosen it with reserved liquor until it flows again.
• •A mature dry white Burgundy or a full Champagne has enough breadth for the foie gras and cream without flattening the butter-rich sauce.
• •Cool leftovers within two hours and refrigerate them for up to two days. Reheat the poultry and stuffing gently until the centre reaches 165°F (74°C), keeping any remaining crisp noodles separate until serving.

Advance Preparation

• •Ready the home-scale Poëlings (No. 250) mise en place several hours ahead, but don't begin its cooking stage until the stuffed bird is ready for the oven.
• •Clarified butter may be prepared up to one week ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Warm it only until fluid before sautéing the noodles.
• •The foie gras may be chilled and diced up to four hours ahead. Keep it covered and cold so the cubes remain distinct when folded into the noodles.
• •Do not stuff the poularde in advance. Half-poach the noodles, fill the bird, and begin cooking in one continuous sequence.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 470g)