Poularde à la Grecque

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •5 to 6 quart (4.7 to 5.7 liter) heavy cocotte or Dutch oven with a close-fitting lid
• •Instant-read thermometer with a thin probe
• •Fine-mesh sieve, preferably lined with damp cheesecloth
• •Small heavy saucepan
• •Butcher's twine

Instructions

1. 1

   Stuff and truss

   Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C) with a rack in the lower-middle position. Pat the chicken thoroughly dry inside and out, then season the cavity with one-third of the salt and pepper. Spoon in the prepared Riz à la Grecque (No. 2253) without pressing it down; the rice must sit loosely so heat can reach its center. Refrigerate any excess for reheating beside the bird. Tie the legs together and tuck the wing tips underneath, then season the outside.

   Never stuff the chicken hours ahead. Fill it immediately before cooking, and use the thermometer later to confirm that the center of the rice reaches 165°F (74°C).
2. 2

   Build the matignon

   Scatter the onion, carrot, celery, thyme, and bay leaf across the bottom of a heavy lidded cocotte that holds the chicken snugly. This raw matignon is an aromatic bed, not a side dish, so keep the dice fine and even. Set the chicken breast-side up over the vegetables, pour four tablespoons of the melted butter across it, and cover tightly.

3. 3

   Poël gently

   Cook the stuffed bird by Poëlings (No. 250) for 75 minutes, basting it every 25 minutes with the butter and juices gathering in the cocotte. Add no stock or water during this stage. Moistening now would turn the poëling into a braise and soften the flavor you are trying to concentrate. If the vegetables begin to scorch, transfer the chicken and any unburned matignon to a clean cocotte, add the reserved butter, and lower the oven slightly. Ça se rattrape.

4. 4

   Brown and test

   Remove the lid, raise the oven to 400°F (200°C), and brush the bird with the remaining melted butter. Roast uncovered for 25 to 35 minutes, basting once or twice, until the skin is evenly burnished. The center of the rice must register 165°F (74°C), and the thickest part of the thigh should reach at least 170°F (77°C) without the probe touching bone. If the skin is ready before the filling, replace the lid slightly ajar and lower the oven to 350°F (175°C). If the filling is ready but the skin remains pale, give the bird one or two careful minutes under the broiler.

5. 5

   Infuse the stock

   Transfer the chicken to a warmed platter and rest it loosely covered for 20 minutes. Reserve ¼ cup (60 ml / 60 g) of the chicken stock for adjustments, then pour the remainder into the cocotte without first removing the butter. Scrape up the browned traces and simmer the stock with the buttery matignon for 10 minutes. That contact recovers the flavor held in the fat. Strain through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan, let it settle briefly, then remove the fat carefully from the surface.

6. 6

   Reduce to strength

   Boil the strained stock briskly until it measures about 1 cup (240 ml / 240 g) and tastes deep, clear, and unmistakably of chicken, about 12 to 20 minutes. Judge it by flavor before volume. Arrowroot supplies body, not character, so a weak reduction must stay on the heat. Once the stock tastes right, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.

7. 7

   Bind with arrowroot

   Stir the arrowroot into the cold water until perfectly smooth. Whisk half the slurry into the simmering reduction and wait 20 seconds before deciding whether it needs more. Add only enough to make a light glaze that coats the back of a spoon while remaining fluid. Do not boil it hard afterward, because prolonged boiling weakens arrowroot. If the glaze turns too thick, whisk in the reserved hot stock a spoonful at a time; if it forms small lumps, strain it once more. Ça se rattrape.

8. 8

   Glaze and serve

   Remove the trussing string and spoon enough glaze over the whole poularde to give the burnished skin a clear amber sheen. Present it on the warmed platter, then carve and spoon the Riz à la Grecque (No. 2253) beside each portion. Coat the chicken with the remaining reduction, letting a little pool around the rice. No cream, no extra butter whisked into the finish, no decorative sauce family. Just concentration. À table!

Chef Tips

• •A true poularde is a young, specially fattened hen with unusually tender, well-marbled flesh. When one cannot be found, choose a plump roasting chicken of the same weight. The result will be slightly leaner, but careful poëling matters more than pedigree.
• •Use unsalted chicken stock with enough gelatin to set softly when cold. If boxed stock remains watery after chilling, reduce it by one-third before beginning and measure the required amount afterward. A salty stock cannot endure the hard reduction this dish demands.
• •Butter, not oil. Its flavor joins the chicken and matignon during Poëlings (No. 250), then the excess is removed only after the stock has had time to recover those aromas.
• •Do not pack the rice tightly into the cavity. Compression delays heating and gives you heavy filling. Any excess looks perfectly at home warmed beside the carved bird.
• •Pour a dry white Burgundy or a firm white from the Loire. The wine needs enough body for the poultry and sausage-rich rice, but little sweetness against the concentrated stock.

Advance Preparation

• •Prepare the strong unsalted chicken stock up to two days ahead and keep it chilled. If it needs preliminary reduction, complete that before measuring the quantity for this recipe.
• •The referenced rice may be prepared one day ahead, cooled quickly, and refrigerated. Do not stuff the chicken until immediately before it goes into the oven, and allow additional cooking time when the rice begins fully chilled.
• •The vegetables can be diced and the chicken seasoned earlier the same day. Keep both refrigerated, then pat the chicken dry again before stuffing and poëling.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 445g)