Poularde Grand Hôtel

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •12-inch (30 cm) covered sauté pan
• •4-quart (3.8-liter) seasoned cast-iron or heavy stainless-steel cocotte with a tight lid, rated for empty preheating
• •Truffle slicer, small mandoline, or very sharp knife
• •Heavy-duty foil
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Heatproof trivets and oven mitts

Instructions

1. 1

   Heat the cocotte

   Set a rack in the middle of the oven and heat it to 475°F (245°C). Put an empty 4-quart seasoned cast-iron or heavy stainless-steel cocotte and its lid in the oven for 15 minutes, using only a vessel its maker permits you to preheat empty. Cut a sheet of heavy foil large enough to cover the rim. Pat the chicken completely dry, then season it with 1¼ teaspoons of the salt and ⅜ teaspoon of the pepper.

2. 2

   Make the Sauté

   Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large covered sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté here means cooking the jointed bird quickly in butter before its final enclosed cooking, not braising it in liquid. Brown the legs and thighs skin-side down for 4 minutes, then add the breast pieces and wings and continue until every skin side is butter-gold, about 4 minutes more. Work in batches if the pieces cannot sit flat. Turn them, return everything to the pan, add the remaining butter, cover, lower the heat to medium-low, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. The breast should reach about 145 to 150°F (63 to 66°C) and the thigh about 155°F (68°C), nearly cooked but with room for the final eight minutes. If the butter blackens or smells sharp, lift out the chicken, discard the scorched butter, wipe away only the black flecks, and continue with the reserved butter while preserving any clean bronze fond. Ça se rattrape.

   Keep the lid on during the gentle cooking. The source method is covered, and this lets the jointed pieces cook evenly without drying the breasts before the cocotte is ready.
3. 3

   Slice the truffles

   While the chicken cooks under cover, brush the truffles clean without peeling them. Slice them a full ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick, not into transparent wafers, then toss them gently with the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Their thickness is deliberate: the slices must cook and remain substantial rather than disappear into the liquor.

4. 4

   Build the liquor

   Remove the hot cocotte and lid from the oven and set them securely on heatproof trivets. Transfer the chicken to the cocotte in a snug layer, skin-side up, then distribute the seasoned truffle slices over and between the pieces. Put the sauté pan over medium-high heat, pour in the white wine, and swill the pan while scraping up every clean brown trace of fond. After 30 seconds, add the chicken stock and bring it to one full boil. Do not reduce it to a glaze, because this modest liquor must cook the truffles inside the sealed pot. Pour it around the chicken and truffles.

5. 5

   Seal and finish

   Lay the prepared foil across the cocotte rim, clamp on the lid, and crimp the foil around it. If the lid fits loosely, use a second sheet of foil as a gasket; a poor seal is the likely failure here, and the foil is its honest rescue. Return the cocotte to the 475°F (245°C) oven for 8 minutes, allowing 10 only if the truffles were cut thicker than ⅛ inch or the chicken cooled during transfer. Do not peek. At 8 minutes, check that the thickest chicken piece has reached at least 165°F (74°C). If it has not, reseal the cocotte and give it the remaining 2 minutes.

6. 6

   Serve from the cocotte

   Carry the closed cocotte directly to the table and open it there. The truffle slices should retain their shape while softening at the edges, and the butter, wine, chicken juices, and stock should form a light, gleaming liquor beneath the bird. Spoon that liquor and plenty of truffle over every portion. Serve immediately. À table!

Chef Tips

• •A poularde is a plump young hen with enough fat to remain succulent. If your butcher cannot supply one, choose a compact, well-fleshed chicken within the stated weight; a large roasting bird throws off the timing and leaves the breast waiting for the legs.
• •Fresh winter black truffle, Tuber melanosporum, is the dish, not a garnish. Jarred fragments and truffle oil cannot perform the same work because they do not release their perfume as thick raw slices cook inside the cocotte. If fresh truffle is unavailable, wait for its season and cook another chicken dish tonight.
• •Test the cocotte lid before you begin. If it rocks or leaves a gap, have two sheets of heavy foil ready. The seal matters more than the pot's pedigree.
• •Use a dry white wine without sweetness or aggressive oak. Serve the same wine at the table, or choose a restrained white Burgundy with enough body for the butter and truffle.
• •This dish is at its best the moment the lid rises. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and keep them for up to 3 days, but expect the truffle perfume to soften each time the cocotte is opened.

Advance Preparation

• •Joint and season the chicken up to a day ahead, then keep it covered in the refrigerator. Pat it dry again before cooking so the butter can colour it properly.
• •Prepare the chicken stock ahead and chill it. If purchased stock is thin, reduce it gently until it has a little body, then measure the required ⅓ cup.
• •Brush the truffles clean a few hours ahead, but keep them whole and chilled until the chicken begins cooking. Slice them at the last moment so their cut surfaces surrender their perfume to the cocotte, not the cutting board.
• •Do not complete the dish ahead. The sealed truffle finish is its whole purpose, and reheating spends the aroma before your guests receive it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 250g)