Poule au Pot, or Poule au Pot Henri IV

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •8-quart enameled cocotte or heavy stainless-steel stockpot
• •3-quart saucepan for blanching the cabbage
• •Fine-mesh skimmer or shallow ladle
• •Fine-mesh sieve and clean kitchen towel
• •Kitchen twine and a small piece of clean muslin
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Carving knife and warm serving platter

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the vegetables

   Bring a saucepan of water to a boil and blanch the cabbage wedges for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse them briefly under cool water, then set them aside. This small separate step stays because raw cabbage can make the broth sulfurous and dull. Push the cloves into the onion, tie the leeks and celery into a loose bundle, and have the bouquet garni ready.

   Wash the leeks between every layer. A spoonful of trapped grit can undo three hours of careful broth.
2. 2

   Draw the first broth

   Wrap the marrow bones loosely in clean muslin so the marrow remains available for the toast. Put them in the cocotte with the beef, 2 teaspoons of the salt, and all but 1 cup (240 ml) of the cold water. Bring the pot toward a simmer slowly over medium-low heat, uncovered, allowing 30 to 40 minutes. As grey foam gathers, skim it patiently without stirring the liquid. Once the surface is clean, hold the broth at a bare tremble for 45 minutes. A rolling boil drives the impurities back through the broth, so lower the heat before that happens.

3. 3

   Poach the hen

   Lower the hen into the pot breast-side down. Add the clove-studded onion, peppercorns, bouquet garni, and the leek and celery bundle. Add enough of the reserved water to keep the hen nearly covered, then return the liquid very slowly to a bare simmer. Skim again as the hen releases fresh foam. Cook for 45 minutes with the lid slightly ajar, keeping the surface at an occasional lazy bubble rather than a boil.

4. 4

   Finish with vegetables

   Turn the hen breast-side up and add the carrots, turnips, and blanched cabbage. Simmer gently for another 45 to 60 minutes, until the carrots and turnips are tender without collapsing, the beef yields to a fork, and the thickest part of the hen’s thigh reaches about 175°F (80°C) with a loose, easy-moving joint. If the vegetables finish first, lift them out and cover them. If the hen finishes before the beef, lift it into a deep dish, ladle broth over it, and let the beef continue. There is no prize for overcooking one ingredient while waiting for another.

5. 5

   Strain and correct

   Lift the hen, beef, marrow bones, and vegetables onto a warm platter and cover them. Discard the onion, peppercorns, bouquet garni, leek bundle, and celery. Let the broth settle for 10 minutes, then ladle it carefully through a fine sieve lined with a damp clean kitchen towel. Skim away excess fat but leave a few golden eyes on the surface, because they carry flavor. If the broth boiled and turned cloudy, do not pour it out. Ça se rattrape: let it settle fully and strain without pressing; it may not become crystal clear, but it will be clean and handsome. If the flavor is weak, reduce the strained broth for 10 minutes. If it is too salty, loosen it with a little boiling water. Taste and add the remaining salt only as needed.

6. 6

   Serve soup and joint

   Toast the baguette slices until crisp and golden. Unwrap the marrow bones, push out the soft marrow, spread it over the toast, and season with a small pinch of salt. Carve the hen into breast and leg portions and slice the beef across the grain. Serve the clear broth first in warmed bowls with the marrow toast alongside, then bring the hen, beef, carrots, turnips, leeks, celery, and cabbage to the table moistened with a ladleful of broth. For a less formal supper, arrange everything in deep bowls and ladle the broth over it. Cooking well is not cooking fancy. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose a plump roasting hen rather than a small fryer or a very old stewing bird. A fryer lacks the flesh and depth the entry asks for; a tough stewing hen can be excellent, but it may require another hour before its joints relax.
• •The old instruction about boiling water for twelve hours applies only to a new, unglazed earthenware stockpot certified for direct heat. Condition such a pot before recipe day and wash it afterward with hot water only, without soap or soda. An enameled cocotte or stainless-steel stockpot needs no conditioning and is the honest home equivalent.
• •Do not rinse the raw hen. Remove the giblet packet, pat the bird dry, and let the slow poach handle the rest. Technique first: even a modest hen gives a splendid broth when the pot never boils hard.
• •At the table, coarse salt, Dijon mustard, and cornichons suit the sliced meats, while a dry Jurançon keeps the Béarnais connection without overpowering the broth.

Advance Preparation

• •The full dish can be made one day ahead. Lift out the hen, beef, and vegetables, strain the broth, and refrigerate everything in separate shallow containers within two hours. The next day, remove the set fat from the broth, bring it to a bare simmer, and warm the meats and vegetables in it only until heated through.
• •The vegetables may be peeled and cut earlier the same day. Keep the potatoes absent, because this particular petite marmite preparation does not call for them, and hold the prepared leeks in cold water so any last grit falls away.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 1200g)