Poularde aux Huîtres

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Snug 6-quart stockpot
• •2-quart heavy saucepan
• •Oyster knife and protective glove
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Whisk
• •Large warmed oval serving platter

Instructions

1. 1

   Set the gentle poach

   Season the poularde inside with 1 teaspoon of the salt and set it breast-side up in a snug, deep pot. Pour in enough cold white chicken stock to cover it by about 1 inch. Bring the stock slowly toward a simmer, skimming away the grey foam as it rises, then lower the heat when the liquid reaches 180 to 185°F (82 to 85°C). You want an occasional lazy bubble, never a boil. If the pot boils, lift it from the burner for two minutes and lower the heat before returning it. The meat has not been ruined. Ça se rattrape.

   Pot size matters more than stock quantity. A snug 6-quart pot keeps the bird submerged with about 3 quarts of stock; a broad pot wastes stock and leaves the breast exposed.
2. 2

   Cook without boiling

   Hold the stock at that bare tremble for 50 to 65 minutes, turning the bird carefully after 30 minutes if it is not fully submerged. It is ready when the thickest part of the breast reaches 165°F (74°C), the inner thigh reaches at least 170°F (77°C), and the leg moves freely at its joint. A poularde must be well cooked but never battered by boiling; violent heat tightens the breast and clouds the liquor you need for the sauce.

3. 3

   Poach the oysters

   While the bird cooks, shuck the oysters over a bowl so every drop of liquor is caught. Pass the liquor through a fine sieve into a small saucepan, inspect the oysters, and trim away any tough beards without rinsing off their flavour. Add the oysters to their liquor and warm them gently just until their edges begin to firm and the centres turn opaque, usually 30 to 60 seconds. Lift them out immediately, cover, and refrigerate. Boil the strained poaching liquor briskly until only about 2 tablespoons (30 ml) remain. It should taste intensely marine, not scorched.

   If an oyster is open before shucking and does not close when tapped, discard it. Keep the shucked oysters cold once their brief poach is finished.
4. 4

   Rest and measure

   Lift the cooked poularde onto a rack set over a tray, cover it loosely, and let it rest while you make the sauce. Strain the cooking liquor and measure 2½ cups (600 ml); keep another cup nearby for loosening the sauce or warming the bird if needed. Taste before seasoning. The stock has concentrated around the chicken, and the oyster reduction will bring still more salt.

5. 5

   Build the white velouté

   Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Stir in the flour to make a roux blanc (white roux) and cook for 2 minutes without allowing it to colour. Whisk in the 2½ cups of hot cooking liquor a little at a time, making each addition smooth before the next. Bring the velouté to a quiet simmer and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, whisking along the bottom and corners, until the raw flour taste is gone and the sauce looks smooth and lightly glossy.

6. 6

   Finish the suprême

   Whisk the cream into the velouté in three additions, then add the reduced oyster liquor. Simmer gently for 8 to 12 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce nappes (coats) the back of a spoon and a finger drawn through it leaves a clean path. Season with the white pepper and only as much of the remaining salt as the sauce needs. If it tightens into paste, whisk in reserved cooking liquor one tablespoon at a time. If it forms lumps, take it off the heat, whisk hard, and pass it through the fine sieve. Ça se rattrape. The finished sauce should pour in a broad ribbon, not sit like glue.

7. 7

   Glaze and serve

   Warm the serving platter. Remove the trussing string and set the poularde whole on the platter, or carve it into breast and leg portions if that serves your table more easily. Take the sauce completely off the heat, fold in the oysters and any juices around them, and leave them for 60 to 90 seconds, just long enough to warm through. Do not return the pan to the burner. Spoon the oysters around the poularde and pour the ivory sauce generously over everything. Bring the platter straight to the table. À table!

Chef Tips

• •A true poularde is a well-fleshed young hen raised for tenderness. If your butcher cannot supply one, choose a plump air-chilled chicken of the same weight. Technique first, always: the gentle poach matters more than an impressive label.
• •Use a pale, unsalted chicken stock with good body and no roasted colour. A dark stock muddies both the flavour and the deliberate ivory appearance of the sauce suprême.
• •Buy oysters from a careful fishmonger and ask for medium specimens with plenty of liquor. Pre-shucked oysters are usable only if packed in their natural liquor, but they are more easily damaged and give you less control.
• •Serve with plain rice pilaf or buttered potatoes, something quiet enough to collect the sauce. A mineral Chablis or another dry white Burgundy has the freshness to meet both cream and oysters.
• •The dish is best served at once. Refrigerate leftovers within two hours and use them the next day; warm the chicken and sauce gently, removing the oysters first and returning them only after the pan leaves the heat.

Advance Preparation

• •The light white chicken stock can be prepared up to three days ahead and kept refrigerated, or frozen in the quantity needed for the poach.
• •Up to two hours before cooking, truss the poularde, weigh the sauce ingredients, scrub the oyster shells, and arrange the tools. Keep the bird and oysters refrigerated.
• •Do not shuck the oysters far in advance. Open and briefly poach them while the poularde cooks so their liquor remains fresh and their flesh stays plump.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 500g)