Poularde Demidoff

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •5 to 6 quart (4.7 to 5.7 L) heavy oval cocotte with lid
• •Channel knife or small sharp paring knife
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Small ladle or fat-skimming spoon

Instructions

1. 1

   Shape the garnish

   Cut the carrots and turnips into cylinders about 1 inch (2.5 cm) across. With a channel knife, or the tip of a small paring knife, score five or six shallow grooves down each cylinder; halve them lengthwise, then slice them ¼ inch (6 mm) thick to make fluted crescents. Cut the onions across into thin roundels and slice the celery evenly. Perfect carving belonged to the brigade. Even thickness is what matters at home, because every piece must become tender at the same moment.

2. 2

   Étuvez the vegetables

   Étuver means to stew gently in butter. Melt the butter in the cocotte over medium-low heat, then add the carrots, turnips, celery, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper. Turn everything through the butter, cover, and cook for 6 minutes without coloring. Add the onion roundels and continue covered for 6 to 8 minutes, until the vegetables are about half tender and shining with butter. If their edges begin to brown, lower the heat and add a spoonful of water; let that water evaporate before proceeding. Transfer the vegetables and every drop of their butter to a bowl.

3. 3

   Poële the pullet

   In the same cocotte, prepare the pullet according to Poëlings (No. 250), stopping after its covered butter-cooking stage when the bird is three-quarters done. Do not perform the reference preparation's final stock work, because Poularde Demidoff receives its measured stock only at the finish. For a pullet of this size, begin checking after about 45 minutes: the skin should be set and lightly bronzed, with the breast near 140 to 145°F (60 to 63°C) and the thigh near 150 to 155°F (66 to 68°C). Continue directly to the next step. Partially cooked poultry is never a make-ahead stage.

4. 4

   Finish en cocotte

   Arrange the butter-stewed vegetables around the pullet rather than over its skin. Return the uncovered cocotte to a 350°F (180°C) oven and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, basting the bird once with the buttery juices, until the thickest part of the breast reaches 165°F (74°C) and the thigh reaches at least 170°F (77°C). Add no stock yet. If the bird finishes before the roots, lift it out to rest and cover the cocotte until they are tender; if the roots soften first, remove them with a slotted spoon and return them later. Ça se rattrape.

5. 5

   Build the final jus

   Lift the pullet onto a warm plate and rest it loosely covered for 10 to 15 minutes. Cut the truffles into thin crescents and add them to the cocotte with the chicken stock and remaining salt. Set the cocotte over medium-low heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes, turning the vegetables once and scraping the roasting glaze from the bottom without crushing the garnish. This contact lets the stock recover the aromas held in the butter. If the liquor remains watery, lift out the vegetables and reduce it alone for a minute or two until it lightly coats a spoon, then return them.

6. 6

   Degrease and serve

   Let the cocotte stand for half a minute, tilt it slightly, and skim away the clear fat gathered on the surface. If small droplets refuse to collect, touch them lightly with the corner of a folded paper towel. The jus should gleam without wearing a cap of grease, while the vegetables retain their buttery sheen. Return the pullet to the center, arrange the vegetables and truffle crescents around it, and spoon over a little jus without drowning the bronzed skin. Bring the cocotte straight to the table and carve there. À table!

Chef Tips

• •A true poularde is a plump, specially fattened young hen. If your butcher doesn't carry one, choose a compact 3½ to 4 lb (1.6 to 1.8 kg) chicken with generous breast meat and intact skin. A much larger roasting bird cooks too slowly for the garnish.
• •The full 3 oz (85 g) of black truffle belongs to the source ratio, where it is a real part of the garnish rather than perfume waved over the pot. Whole preserved black truffles are the classical pantry answer outside the fresh season. Their aroma is quieter, but they keep the proper shape and texture. Truffle oil does neither.
• •Use stock with enough natural gelatin to become lightly sticky when chilled. If boxed stock tastes thin, reduce 1 cup (240 ml / 240 g) gently to the required ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon (95 ml / 95 g), then measure it. Keep it unsalted so the reduction doesn't become harsh.
• •Serve a mature white Burgundy or a supple, lightly structured red Burgundy. The wine needs enough breadth for butter and truffle, but not so much weight that the vegetables disappear.
• •Remove leftover meat from the carcass and chill it with the vegetables and jus within 2 hours. Keep for up to 3 days, then reheat gently with a spoonful of stock so the breast does not dry.

Advance Preparation

• •The carrots, turnips, onions, and celery can be shaped and stewed in butter up to 1 day ahead. Cool them promptly, chill them with their butter, and bring them toward room temperature while the pullet begins cooking.
• •The chicken stock can be reduced and measured 1 day ahead. Keep it chilled, then warm it before the final addition so it does not halt the cooking.
• •Do not stop after the three-quarters-cooked Poëlings (No. 250) stage for later service. Continue immediately into the cocotte finish for both safety and juiciness. Cut fresh truffles only as the pullet rests.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 400g)