Poularde Adelina Patti

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •7 to 8-quart (6.5 to 7.5-liter) narrow stockpot
• •2-quart (2-liter) heavy saucepan
• •Small saucepan for the pale meat glaze
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Kitchen twine or poultry trussing needle
• •Warmed oval platter and sauceboat

Instructions

1. 1

   Stuff the poularde

   Pat the poularde dry inside and out. Season the cavity with ½ teaspoon of the salt and a little white pepper. Loosen the chilled Pilaff Rice (for the Stuffing of Fowls) (No. 2256) gently with a fork, keeping the finished preparation whole rather than adding anything further. Spoon it loosely into the main cavity, filling no more than two-thirds full so the rice can complete its cooking without splitting the bird. Close the cavity with a skewer or kitchen twine, truss the legs, and season the outside with another 1 teaspoon salt and a little white pepper. Stuff only when you are ready to poach.

2. 2

   Poach at a tremble

   Set the poularde breast-side up in a narrow stockpot and pour over enough white chicken stock to cover it. Bring the liquid gradually to a bare tremble over medium heat, skimming any pale foam as it rises, then lower the heat and partially cover. Poach without boiling for 75 to 90 minutes, turning the bird once if the breast rises above the stock. The liquid should register about 180 to 185°F (82 to 85°C). A rolling boil tightens the flesh and clouds the stock; if one begins, lower the heat immediately and add a small ladle of cool stock. Continue until the centre of the rice stuffing reaches 165°F (74°C) and the thickest part of the thigh reaches at least 165°F (74°C), preferably nearer 170°F (77°C).

3. 3

   Rest and strain

   Lift the poularde carefully, letting the stock drain from its cavity back into the pot. Transfer it to a warmed tray, cover loosely, and let it rest while you finish the garniture. Strain the poaching liquid through a fine sieve and skim away excess fat. Measure 3 cups (720 ml / 720 g) for the sauce and 1 cup (240 ml / 240 g) for the pale meat glaze; keep another cup nearby for warming the artichokes and correcting the sauce.

4. 4

   Build the velouté

   Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring steadily, until the roux smells faintly nutty but remains pale. Whisk in the 3 cups of hot poaching liquid a little at a time, making the first addition slowly so the roux stays smooth. Simmer gently for 12 to 15 minutes, skimming as needed, then add the cream and reduce until the sauce coats the back of a spoon in an even veil. If it goes lumpy, pass it through the fine sieve; if it tightens too far, loosen it with reserved stock. A thin sauce needs reduction, not more flour.

5. 5

   Bloom the paprika

   Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over low heat in a small pan. Remove it from the direct heat, stir in the paprika, and let it bloom for 20 to 30 seconds, just until its fragrance opens and the butter turns warm red-gold. Whisk this immediately into the velouté. If the paprika darkens or smells bitter, don't add it to the sauce. Discard that spoonful and begin again with fresh butter and paprika. Ça se rattrape. Simmer the sauce suprême very gently for 2 minutes, season with the remaining salt and white pepper as needed, then remove it from the heat and whisk in the final tablespoon of cold butter. Keep it warm without boiling.

6. 6

   Make the pale glaze

   Boil the reserved 1 cup of clear poaching liquid in a small saucepan until it reduces to about ¼ cup (60 ml / 60 g) and coats a spoon with a light, syrupy film. This is the home equivalent of the pale meat glaze once waiting beside the saucier's range. Keep it pale and savory; stop before it catches or caramelizes. If it becomes salty before it thickens, use a thinner coating rather than reducing it further.

7. 7

   Glaze the garniture

   Warm the artichoke bottoms gently for 4 to 5 minutes in a shallow pan with enough reserved poaching liquid to cover their bases. Drain them thoroughly and place two overlapping truffle slices in each hollow. Brush the truffle and the rim of each artichoke bottom with the pale meat glaze. Warm the truffle only through the artichoke; hard heat drives away the aroma you paid for.

8. 8

   Coat and serve

   Set the rested poularde directly on a warmed oval platter. The old low cushion supported the display, not the flavor, so the platter replaces it honestly. Spoon enough paprika sauce suprême over the bird to cloak it in a smooth, glossy layer, then arrange the four glazed artichoke bottoms around it. Pour the remaining sauce suprême into a warmed sauceboat and serve it separately, exactly as the composition requires. Carve the poularde at the table, spoon some rice stuffing beside each portion, and give every guest an artichoke bottom. À table!

Chef Tips

• •A true poularde can require an order from a good poultry butcher. A plump, air-chilled young chicken of the same weight is the honest home equivalent; choose one with an intact skin and enough body to hold the rice without becoming enormous.
• •Use white chicken stock, made without roasting the bones, and keep it lightly seasoned. The poaching liquid becomes both sauce and glaze, so a dark, salty commercial stock will announce itself in every part of the dish.
• •Sweet paprika must smell warm and fruity, never smoky or dusty. Buy a fresh tin and bloom it over low heat. This small step is the dish's deciding point.
• •Frozen artichoke bottoms are an excellent classical-pantry answer when fresh artichokes are poor. Artichokes packed in water also work if rinsed and drained well; marinated artichokes bring acid and oil that do not belong in this sauce.
• •Fresh black truffle is magnificent here, but a good whole preserved truffle is an honest substitute outside its season. Truffle oil is not. Serve a full-bodied white Burgundy or brut Champagne, both have the breadth for cream and the nerve for paprika.

Advance Preparation

• •Prepare the white chicken stock up to two days ahead, chill it promptly, and lift off the set fat before using. Keep it unsalted or only lightly salted because part of it will reduce to a glaze.
• •The Pilaff Rice (for the Stuffing of Fowls) (No. 2256) may be prepared and chilled one day ahead. Keep it cold, then stuff the poularde only immediately before poaching.
• •The artichoke bottoms can be drained several hours ahead and kept covered in the cold. Slice the truffle shortly before warming the garniture so its perfume stays in the dish.
• •Finish the sauce suprême shortly before serving. If it must wait, cover its surface and hold it for no more than 20 minutes over barely warm water, whisking in a spoonful of stock if it tightens.
• •Remove any leftover stuffing from the carcass after the meal and chill it separately from the carved poultry within 2 hours. Reheat both thoroughly and serve within 2 days.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 600g)