Poulet Sauté Boivin

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •12-inch (30 cm) ovenproof sauté pan with a tight-fitting lid
• •¾-inch to 1-inch (2 to 2.5 cm) Parisienne or melon-ball scoop
• •Tongs
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Warm oval serving platter

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the pale glaze

   Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Measure 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 30 g) of the stock into a cup and reserve it; this is the honest home equivalent of the consommé used to swill the finished pan. Pour the remaining stock into the ovenproof sauté pan and boil steadily until only 3 tablespoons (45 ml / 45 g) remain, about 15 minutes. Measure rather than guess. The reduction should coat a spoon lightly and remain pale amber, not dark or sticky. Scrape this home pale glaze into a second cup and set it aside.

2. 2

   Prepare the garnish

   Pull away the hard green leaves from each artichoke until the tender pale leaves appear, trim the top and tough stem, and remove any prickly choke. Quarter the tender hearts and toss them with 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 15 g) lemon juice so they don't discolor, then dry them well before cooking. Cut 24 balls from the potatoes with a Parisienne scoop and dry those too. Season the vegetables with ¼ teaspoon of the salt. The small, even size matters because the onions, artichokes, potatoes, and chicken must finish together under the lid.

3. 3

   Sauté the chicken

   Dry the chicken thoroughly and season it with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Melt 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 28 g) butter in the sauté pan over medium heat. When the foam subsides, lay in the chicken skin-side down, working in two batches if the pieces cannot sit without touching. Brown the skin to an even butter-gold, 6 to 8 minutes, then color the second side for 2 to 3 minutes. Keep the heat moderate so the butter and fond turn hazel-gold rather than scorched; if black specks appear, lower the heat and wipe out only the burnt butter, leaving the sound brown fond behind. Ça se rattrape.

4. 4

   Cover and cook

   Return all the chicken to the pan, skin-side up. Tuck the onions, artichoke quarters, and 24 potato balls closely around it, turning each vegetable once in the butter and fond. Cover tightly and transfer the pan to the oven for 25 to 35 minutes. Shake the covered pan gently after 20 minutes, then test: the potatoes should yield cleanly to a knife, the onions should be tender, the breast meat must reach 165°F (74°C), and the thighs are best near 175°F (79°C). If the breasts finish before the vegetables or legs, lift them out and keep them covered while the rest cooks. Tender chicken is the aim, not rigid simultaneity.

5. 5

   Arrange the platter

   Transfer the chicken to a warm oval platter. Spoon the onions and hazelnut potatoes over and between the pieces, then arrange the artichoke quarters around the outside, keeping the source's generous order. Cover the platter loosely while you finish the sauce. Pour away any large pool of clear fat from the pan, but keep every browned deposit and spoonful of cooking juice.

6. 6

   Mount the sauce

   Set the pan over medium heat and add the reserved 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 30 g) stock. Swirl and scrape until the fond dissolves, then add the reserved 3 tablespoons (45 ml / 45 g) pale glaze and ¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml / 1.25 g) lemon juice. Let this bubble only until smooth and lightly syrupy. Remove the pan completely from the heat and whisk in the 3 tablespoons (45 ml / 42 g) cold butter, one cube at a time, until the sauce turns glossy and coats the spoon. Do not boil it again. If the butter separates into an oily rim, whisk in 1 teaspoon cold water away from the heat until the emulsion returns. Ça se rattrape. Taste for salt, pour the pale glaze over the chicken and vegetables, and serve at once. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose a small chicken. A large roasting bird forces the vegetables to wait while its joints cook, and the breast pays for that delay. Technique first, always.
• •The artichokes must be genuinely young and tender. If the market offers only large, fibrous specimens, use 9 ounces (255 g) thawed frozen artichoke hearts, quartered and dried well. Their texture will be softer, but they are more honest than tired fresh artichokes.
• •Use unsalted, gelatin-rich chicken stock. Ordinary salted broth can become punishing when reduced from more than a cup to three tablespoons. If your stock tastes salty before reduction, it is the wrong stock for this job.
• •Save the potato trimmings for soup, purée, or a small gratin. The Parisienne scoop creates the precise garnish this dish requires, but good potato should never meet the bin.
• •Artichokes can make heavily oaked wine taste oddly sweet. Pour a dry, bright white from the Mâconnais or a restrained white from the Jura and let the pale sauce remain the richest thing at the table.
• •Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days. Reheat them covered at 300°F (150°C) until just hot; if the sauce separates, collect the pan juices and whisk them with a teaspoon of cold water off the heat.

Advance Preparation

• •The pale glaze can be reduced up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated in a covered cup. Bring it close to room temperature while preparing the chicken so it dissolves quickly in the pan.
• •Peel the onions and portion the chicken up to 1 day ahead, keeping both covered and cold. Dry the chicken again before browning.
• •Cut the potatoes and trim the artichokes shortly before cooking. Potatoes held too long in water lose surface starch, while exposed artichokes discolor even with lemon.
• •The completed dish is best served immediately because the monter au beurre is most stable and glossy just off the fire.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 400g)