Suprêmes de Volaille Cussy

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Meat mallet or rolling pin
• •3-inch (7.5 cm) round cutter or jar lid to use as a trimming guide
• •12-inch (30 cm) heavy skillet
• •Small saucepan
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Warmed sauceboat

Instructions

1. 1

   Shape the suprêmes

   Use an artichoke bottom as your size guide. Cut each chicken breast crosswise on a slight diagonal into three collops, then place them between sheets of parchment and flatten them gently to an even ⅓ inch (8 mm). Trim each into a round matching its artichoke bottom, saving the clean trimmings for stock or another meal. Pat the collops dry and season them with 1 teaspoon of the salt and the white pepper, but do not flour them yet. Equal thickness is the principle that carries the dish: thick edges remain raw while thin centres dry, and no sauce can correct either one.

   Tap with the flat side of a mallet or a rolling pin rather than striking hard. You are evening the meat, not crushing it.
2. 2

   Reduce the stock

   Pour 2 cups (475 ml) of the chicken stock into a small saucepan and add the truffle preserving liquid, if you have it. Bring it to a lively simmer and reduce it to 1 cup (240 ml), skimming any foam. Do not season yet because reduction concentrates salt. Keep the reduced stock warm; this is the foundation of the jus lié, and the chicken’s fond will complete it.

3. 3

   Prepare bases and crowns

   If using cock’s kidneys, place them in the remaining ½ cup (125 ml) stock, cover, and poach at the barest tremble for 7 to 9 minutes, turning once, until porcelain white, firm, and cooked to 165°F (74°C). Lift them out and keep them covered. Strain their poaching stock into a wide skillet, add 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter, and warm the artichoke bottoms in one layer over gentle heat for 4 to 5 minutes. If using mushrooms, cook the caps first with 1 tablespoon each of butter and reserved stock, covered, until tender but still white; remove them, then warm the artichokes with the remaining stock and another tablespoon of butter. Arrange three hot artichoke bottoms on each warmed plate and cover loosely.

4. 4

   Dredge and sauté

   Spread the flour on a plate. Heat half the clarified butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it gleams. Dredge four collops lightly, shake away every excess veil of flour, and lay them in the pan without crowding. Sauté for 60 to 90 seconds per side, until lightly golden and cooked to 165°F (74°C), then set each directly on an artichoke bottom. Repeat with the remaining collops and clarified butter. Flour only the batch about to enter the pan; flour left waiting absorbs moisture and turns pasty. If the flour specks begin to burn, lower the heat, pour the dark fat into a heatproof bowl, wipe the pan with paper held in tongs, and continue with fresh butter.

5. 5

   Finish the jus lié

   Pour away excess sautéing fat, leaving the clean golden fond behind. Add the reduced stock and scrape the pan thoroughly, then simmer until about ¾ cup (180 ml) remains. Strain it into a clean saucepan. Mix the arrowroot with the cold water, bring the jus to a gentle simmer, and whisk in the slurry a little at a time until it becomes nappant, coating the back of a spoon with a thin glossy film. You may not need every drop. Take it off the heat and whisk in the remaining cold butter. If it tightens too far, loosen it with stock; if it remains thin, mix a pinch more arrowroot with cold water and add it gradually. Ça se rattrape. Never add dry arrowroot directly, and do not boil the thickened jus hard.

6. 6

   Glaze and assemble

   Spoon 3 tablespoons of the finished jus lié into a clean skillet and add the truffle slices. Warm them over the lowest heat for 30 to 60 seconds, basting until each slice shines; prolonged cooking drives away the truffle’s perfume. Set one glazed slice on every chicken collop, then crown it with one warm cock’s kidney or white mushroom cap. Taste the remaining jus for salt and pour it into a warmed sauceboat. Serve it beside the plates, never over the stacks, so every layer remains visible and each guest takes as much as desired. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Buy whole, unseasoned artichoke bottoms packed in water, not marinated hearts cut into quarters. The bottom is structural here, and twelve intact rounds save the brigade work of trimming fresh artichokes without changing the dish’s intent.
• •The truffle must be present as a thick slice. A good whole preserved black truffle is an honest answer when fresh truffles are unavailable; truffle oil cannot supply the texture, glaze, or quiet perfume this composition asks for.
• •Cock’s kidneys are rooster testicles, the source entry’s exact pale finishing garnish, and a poultry farmer may be able to special-order them. The mushroom cap preserves the white colour and rounded form when they cannot be found, but it changes the flavour, and we say so plainly.
• •Pour a dry Champagne or a restrained white Burgundy. Either has enough freshness for the artichoke and enough breadth for the butter, truffle, and jus lié.

Advance Preparation

• •Shape the chicken collops up to 6 hours ahead, layer them between parchment, cover, and keep them cold. Drain and dry the artichoke bottoms at the same time.
• •Reduce the stock up to one day ahead and chill it promptly. Reheat it before deglazing the chicken pan so the fond dissolves cleanly.
• •Poach the cock’s kidneys or mushroom caps and warm the artichoke bottoms shortly before cooking the chicken. Do not sauté the thin collops ahead, because reheating turns them dry.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 360g)