Suprêmes de Volaille Valençay

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Small heavy saucepan
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Food processor with metal blade
• •12-inch (30 cm) heavy skillet
• •Rimmed baking sheet with wire rack
• •Blender or immersion blender
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Small sharp paring knife
• •Warmed round or oval serving platter

Instructions

1. 1

   Reduce the Allemande

   Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon flour and cook this roux for 2 minutes without letting it color. Whisk in ½ cup chicken stock by small additions, scraping into the corners, then simmer for 6 to 8 minutes until the sauce is very thick and a spatula drawn across the bottom leaves a path that stays open. Whisk the yolk with 2 tablespoons cream, temper it with a spoonful of the hot sauce, then stir it back into the pan over the gentlest heat. Keep stirring for 1 minute without boiling. If the liaison begins to look grainy, take the pan off the heat and whisk in a teaspoon of cold stock; pass it through a fine sieve if needed. Ça se rattrape. Off the heat, add 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of the truffle dice, ⅛ teaspoon salt, and a pinch of white pepper. Spread the Allemande on a cold plate, cover its surface, and chill for at least 25 minutes, until firm.

2. 2

   Stuff the suprêmes

   Dry the suprêmes and trim any loose edges. With a small sharp knife, cut a deep pocket through the thick side of each breast, keeping the other three sides intact. Divide the cold Allemande among the pockets, about 1 heaped tablespoon per breast, and press the openings closed. If a pocket tears, cover the hole with a thin piece of chicken trimming and press it firmly into place. Season the outsides with ¾ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon white pepper, then chill the stuffed suprêmes seam-side down for 20 minutes. Cold filling and cold chicken are what make the later crust a seal rather than decoration.

3. 3

   Make the forcemeat

   Chill the food-processor bowl and blade if the kitchen is warm. Pulse the cold chicken tenderloin meat with ¼ teaspoon salt and a pinch of white pepper until it becomes smooth and tacky. Add the egg white and process only until absorbed. With the machine running, add all but 1 tablespoon of the cold cream in a thin stream. The forcemeat should be glossy, close, and soft enough to hold a dome. If it turns oily at the edge, stop immediately, chill the bowl for 10 minutes, then pulse in the reserved cold cream. Fold in the remaining 1 tablespoon truffle dice. Poach a teaspoonful in barely simmering water until cooked through, taste it, and correct the seasoning.

4. 4

   Shape the croûtons

   Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Cut each bread slice in half and shape the eight pieces into small cocks’ combs, each about 2½ inches (6 cm) long: make a curved outer edge and cut three shallow notches along it. Exact heraldry is unnecessary, but keep the pieces equal so they cook together. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a wide pan over medium heat and fry the croûtons on both sides until evenly golden. Transfer them to a parchment-lined baking sheet.

5. 5

   Poach the domes

   Divide the forcemeat over the eight fried croûtons, shaping each portion into a smooth dome with a teaspoon dipped in cold water. Bake for 12 to 16 minutes, until the forcemeat feels resilient and reaches 165°F (74°C) at the center. Keep it pale and tender. If the domes color before their centers are cooked, cover them loosely with foil. Set the finished croûtons aside in a warm place, then raise the oven to 350°F (175°C).

6. 6

   Build the mushroom purée

   Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a wide saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook for 2 minutes without coloring. Add the mushrooms, ½ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon white pepper. Cook uncovered, stirring often, until the mushrooms collapse and their liquid has evaporated, 10 to 12 minutes. Add ½ cup stock and reduce until only a few spoonfuls remain, then add ½ cup cream and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Blend until very smooth, return the purée to the pan, and stir in 1 teaspoon lemon juice. It should mound softly while still flowing from a spoon. If loose, reduce it gently; if tight, loosen it with a spoonful of stock. Hold it covered over very low heat.

7. 7

   Paner à l’anglaise

   Set out the coating ingredients in three shallow dishes: the ½ cup flour, the prepared Anglaise (for Egg-and-bread-crumbing) (No. 174), and the fine breadcrumbs. Dust each chilled suprême lightly with flour and shake away the excess. Coat it completely in the Anglaise, let the excess drain, then press it into the crumbs so no damp patches remain. Lay the breaded suprêmes on a rack for 10 minutes. This short rest lets the panure adhere. If a bald patch appears, press on a few more crumbs before the chicken reaches the butter.

   Fine breadcrumbs form the close, resisting crust this stuffed preparation needs. Coarse crumbs leave gaps through which the Allemande can escape.
8. 8

   Cook in butter

   Heat half the clarified butter in a heavy 12-inch (30 cm) skillet over medium-high heat until bright and fluid. Cook two suprêmes at a time, leaving room around them, for about 3 minutes on the first side and 2 minutes on the second, until the panure is deep butter-gold. Lower the heat, add 1 tablespoon whole butter, and baste for 1 minute. Transfer the suprêmes to a rack set over a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining clarified and whole butter. Finish all four in the 350°F (175°C) oven for 7 to 12 minutes, until the center of the chicken and its filling reaches 165°F (74°C). If the crumbs darken too quickly in the pan, move the chicken to the rack at once and let the oven finish the cooking. If a little filling finds a pinhole, turn that opening upward and leave it undisturbed. Rest the suprêmes for 5 minutes.

9. 9

   Build the crown

   Spoon the mushroom purée into the center of a warmed round or oval platter. Arrange the four suprêmes around it as a crown, with their tapered ends pointing inward. Set two forcemeat-topped croûtons beside each suprême, following the outer curve of the platter. Bring it to the table at once, while the panure is crisp and the purée still carries its butter sheen. À table!

Chef Tips

• •A good preserved black truffle is the honest classical pantry answer when fresh truffles are unavailable. Drain it thoroughly and cut it with a knife. Truffle oil does not replace the dice here; it perfumes the dish without supplying their earthy texture.
• •Use fine, dry breadcrumbs rather than panko. Panure à l’anglaise is a close protective coat, and this one must contain both chicken juices and a sauce filling.
• •Choose chicken breasts of similar size, preferably 5 to 6 ounces (140 to 170 g) each. Very large breasts cook unevenly and require so long in the oven that the crumb loses its delicacy.
• •Serve a dry white from the central Loire, with enough acidity to meet the cream and enough body for truffle and mushroom. The platter needs no additional garnish; its cocks’ comb croûtons are already the flourish.
• •Cooked leftovers keep for up to 2 days in the refrigerator, but the crust softens. Reheat the suprêmes on a rack in a 325°F (165°C) oven and warm the purée separately over gentle heat.

Advance Preparation

• •The reduced Allemande filling can be made 1 day ahead. Cover its surface directly and keep it chilled; it must be firm before the suprêmes are stuffed.
• •The mushroom purée can be completed earlier in the day. Chill it promptly, then reheat it over low heat, loosening it with a spoonful of stock if it has tightened.
• •The croûtons can be shaped and fried several hours ahead. Keep them at room temperature, then add the forcemeat and bake them shortly before serving.
• •The suprêmes may be stuffed and breaded up to 4 hours ahead. Refrigerate them uncovered on a rack so the panure stays dry and adheres cleanly during cooking.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 425g)