Suprême de Volaille Jeannette

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •5-quart (4.7 L) heavy pot with lid
• •2-quart (1.9 L) saucepan
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Fine-mesh sieve and cheesecloth
• •Wire rack set over a rimmed tray
• •8-inch (20 cm) square glass dish, at least 2 inches (5 cm) deep
• •Small paring knife and 3-by-1½-inch (7.5-by-4-cm) paper oval template
• •Shallow tray large enough to hold the serving dish

Instructions

1. 1

   Poach the fowl

   Set the chicken breast-side down in the smallest heavy pot that holds it comfortably. Add the salt and enough chicken stock to come nearly over the bird, holding back any stock that does not fit. Bring the liquid slowly to 180 to 185°F (82 to 85°C), where the surface barely trembles, then cover partially and maintain that gentle heat. Poach for 45 to 55 minutes, until the thickest part of the breast reaches 160°F (71°C) and holds there for 3 minutes, while the thigh reaches 165°F (74°C). If the liquid boils, lower the heat immediately and skim the surface; a boil toughens the breast and clouds the liquor, but the clarification step can still rescue its appearance.

   Use a snug pot. A broad stockpot demands far more liquid and gives you a weaker poaching liquor, precisely the opposite of what the aspic needs.
2. 2

   Cool and raise suprêmes

   Lift the chicken onto a rack over a tray and let the fiercest heat leave it for 20 minutes, then refrigerate until thoroughly cold, about 1½ hours. Strain the poaching liquor and cool it promptly over an ice bath. Once the bird is cold, remove the skin and run a narrow knife closely along the breastbone and ribs to raise the two suprêmes intact. Keep them cold. Reserve the legs, wings, and carcass for another meal; this dish asks for the breast, not waste.

3. 3

   Clarify the liquor

   Remove every trace of fat from the cold poaching liquor. Measure 7 cups (1.65 L), making up any shortfall with the stock held back from the poaching pot, and combine it with the egg whites in a clean saucepan. Whisk only until dispersed, then warm slowly while stirring until the whites gather into a pale raft. Stop stirring, open a small vent in the raft, and hold the liquid at the barest simmer for 15 minutes. Ladle it through a damp cheesecloth-lined sieve without pressing. Pressing sends the cloudiness straight back. Measure 1½ cups (360 ml) for the chaud-froid and 4¼ cups (1 L) for the chicken jelly; freeze any surplus.

4. 4

   Make the chicken jelly

   Pour 1 cup (240 ml) of the cold clarified stock into a bowl and scatter the 21 g gelatin evenly over it. Leave it for 5 minutes to bloom. Warm the remaining 3¼ cups (780 ml) clarified stock until hot but not boiling, then whisk in the bloomed gelatin until completely dissolved. Taste and adjust the salt; cold dulls seasoning, so the warm liquid should taste a shade more savory than the finished jelly needs. Divide it between two containers, 2 cups (475 ml) for the base and 2¼ cups (540 ml) for covering the collops, then chill until set.

5. 5

   Cook the chaud-froid

   Take 2 tablespoons (30 ml) from the measured stock and bloom the 6 g gelatin in it. Melt the butter over gentle heat, stir in the flour, and cook this roux blanc (white roux) for 2 minutes without letting it color. Whisk in the remaining stock a little at a time, keeping the mixture smooth, and simmer gently for 8 minutes. Add the cream and white pepper, then simmer until the sauce is ivory, free of any flour taste, and reduced to about 2 cups (475 ml). Remove it from the heat, dissolve in the bloomed gelatin, and strain. Taste for salt.

6. 6

   Shape and coat collops

   Cut each cold suprême across the grain on a long bias into four slices about ⅜ inch (1 cm) thick. Using a small paper template and a sharp knife, trim the eight slices into matching ovals about 3 by 1½ inches (7.5 by 4 cm); save the trimmings for a salad or sandwich. Set the collops on a wire rack over a tray. Cool the chaud-froid over ice, stirring, until it feels cool and falls from the spoon in a broad ribbon, then spoon it over the chicken until no flesh shows. If it runs off transparently, cool it a little longer. If it sets in ridges, warm the bowl briefly over tepid water and stir. Ça se rattrape. Chill the collops for 10 minutes, turn them carefully, seal the undersides with a thin coating, and return them upright.

7. 7

   Green the tarragon

   Carry the tarragon leaves through Blanchings (No. 273), using the brief treatment appropriate to tender green leaves, then cool, drain, and blot them completely dry. Arrange two or three leaves flat on each coated collop while the chaud-froid is still faintly tacky. Wet leaves make the coating bead and spot; if that happens, lift them off, blot again, and smooth the mark with a little softened chaud-froid. Chill until firm.

8. 8

   Set the aspic base

   Warm the 2-cup (475 ml) portion of chicken jelly just until liquid, then let it cool without beginning to set. Pass it through a fine sieve into an 8-inch (20 cm) square dish. It should form a layer ½ inch (1.25 cm) deep, exactly as the source requires. Refrigerate for about 1½ hours, until firm enough to carry the foie-gras Parfait without denting.

9. 9

   Build the arrangement

   Cut the cold foie-gras Parfait into eight slices about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick, then trim each with the same oval template used for the chicken. Arrange them on the set aspic in two columns of four, leaving a little clear jelly between each portion. Center one decorated collop on every slice. If the Parfait softens or smears, stop and return it to the cold for 10 minutes; forcing it only muddies the clean layers.

10. 10

    Cover with jelly

    Set the remaining chicken jelly over barely warm water and melt only until about half is liquid. Remove it and stir slowly until the residual jelly dissolves, then wait until it feels cold and has the body of light syrup. This is the fine half-melted chicken jelly the dish requires. Spoon a thin layer around the bases of the collops and chill for 10 minutes to anchor them, then pour the rest slowly down the side of the dish until every piece is covered. If the jelly softens the chaud-froid or foie-gras Parfait, it was too warm. Stop pouring, let the dish reset in the cold, and cool the jelly further before continuing.

11. 11

    Chill and serve

    Refrigerate the finished dish for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, until the aspic is firm and glassy. For service, nest the square dish in a shallow tray of crushed ice and wipe the rim clean. This replaces the carved block of ice without changing its purpose. Cut around each portion with a warm, dry knife and serve two collops per guest, each with its foie-gras Parfait base and a share of clear aspic. Keep the serving dish nested in ice. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose pale, unsalted chicken stock without roasted coloring or forceful herbs. A dark stock makes the chaud-froid beige and the aspic brown; the poached bird supplies the depth this delicate preparation needs.
• •The gelatin weights matter more than packet count. If you use leaf gelatin, weigh 21 g for the chicken jelly and 6 g for the chaud-froid, then follow its own soaking directions.
• •Use a firm, sliceable foie-gras Parfait and keep it thoroughly cold. A loose foie gras mousse tastes pleasant but collapses under the collops, and the difference is visible as well as textural.
• •The legs and wings are already beautifully poached. Pick their meat for a mustard-dressed salad, vol-au-vent filling, or a small blanquette; technique first, and no part of a good bird needs neglect.
• •Pour a brut Champagne or a taut white Burgundy. The acidity clears the richness of cream and foie gras while leaving the tarragon alone.

Advance Preparation

• •The chicken may be poached and the stock clarified one day ahead. Refrigerate the whole cold chicken and clarified stock separately, both tightly covered.
• •The complete dish is happiest assembled 12 to 24 hours before service. Once the top jelly has set, cover the dish without letting the wrap touch its surface.
• •Keep the finished dish at or below 40°F (4°C) and serve within two days. Do not freeze it; thawed aspic weeps and the chaud-froid loses its smooth coat.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 700g)