Pularda Rellena de Navidad

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Short, flexible boning knife
• •Large cutting board with a juice groove
• •Trussing needle and about 2 metres of uncoated cotton kitchen twine
• •Heavy roasting tin large enough to hold a 3.6kg bird
• •Digital probe thermometer
• •Long, sharp carving knife
• •Large oval serving platter

Instructions

1. 1

   Debone the poulard

   Ask the butcher to debone the poulard through the back and return the carcass, neck and other bones. If doing it yourself, keep the bird cold and place it breast-side down. Cut once from neck to tail along the backbone, then work a short boning knife against the ribs so no meat stays on the carcass. Dislocate the hip and shoulder joints, lift out the carcass, and tunnel down each leg, scraping the thigh and drumstick bones free without making new cuts through the skin. Remove the larger wing bones and wishbone in the same way. Refrigerate the opened bird at once.

   A small tear isn't a ruined bird. Close it with two or three stitches before filling. Nadie nace sabiendo, and poultry skin is more forgiving than it looks.
2. 2

   Mix the stuffing

   Soak the bread in the milk for 10 minutes, then mash it into a soft panade, the bread-and-milk binder that keeps the filling juicy. Add the chilled pork shoulder, pork belly, jamón, eggs, truffle, brandy, nutmeg, 8g of the salt and 3g of the pepper. Mix firmly by hand for 60 to 90 seconds, just until the filling becomes tacky and holds together. Fry a 20g patty in a dry pan until cooked through, then taste it before filling the bird; jamón varies in salt, and the test saves an expensive surprise.

3. 3

   Fill the bird

   Lay the poulard skin-side down with the meat facing you. Season the inside evenly with 8g salt and 1g pepper. Press stuffing into the empty leg and wing cavities first, taking care not to stretch the skin. Spread the remainder over the centre in an even layer, leaving a 2cm border along the back opening. Press out visible air pockets, but don't force in more filling than the bird can hold.

4. 4

   Sew and truss

   Bring the two sides of the back opening together and sew them from tail to neck with uncoated cotton kitchen twine, taking stitches about 2cm apart. Turn the bird seam-side down, shape it into a regular oval and tie crosswise at 3cm intervals, firmly enough to hold the filling but not so tightly that the twine cuts the skin. Tie the legs neatly against the body. This close, even shape is what gives you clean slices; loose pockets separate, and an overfilled bird bursts.

5. 5

   Prepare for roasting

   Heat a conventional oven to 220°C, or a fan oven to 200°C. Scatter the onion and carrot in a heavy roasting tin and set the poulard on top, seam-side down. Rub the skin all over with the softened lard, then season with the remaining 10g salt and 2g pepper. Leave it out for 30 minutes while the oven heats, but no longer.

6. 6

   Begin with high heat

   Pour the white wine and 150ml of the stock around the bird, keeping the liquid off the skin. Roast for 20 minutes, until the breast begins to take on a clear golden color. The hot start sets and colors the skin; the gentler roasting that follows cooks the thick stuffing without drying the fine breast meat.

7. 7

   Roast slowly

   Lower the oven to 165°C, or 145°C fan, and continue roasting. Baste every 30 minutes with the fat and juices from the tin, adding the remaining stock in 100ml portions whenever the vegetables threaten to catch. Begin checking after a further 1 hour 50 minutes. Push a probe thermometer through the back seam into the exact centre of the stuffing: it must reach 74°C, and the thickest leg meat must also be at least 74°C. Expect 2 hours 20 minutes to 2 hours 40 minutes of roasting in total. If the skin darkens too quickly, shield the breast loosely with foil.

   The colour of the juices cannot tell you whether a pork stuffing is safe. Use the thermometer and measure the centre, not the surface.
8. 8

   Rest without rushing

   Lift the poulard onto a warm platter, keeping the back seam underneath. Cover it loosely with foil without wrapping it tightly, and rest for 35 minutes. The filling firms as it rests and the juices settle back into the meat. Cut it immediately and even a well-tied bird will crumble.

9. 9

   Reduce the roasting juices

   Transfer the vegetables and roasting liquid to a saucepan, scraping every browned deposit from the tin. Simmer for 10 minutes, press the vegetables lightly against the side of the pan, then strain. Spoon away excess fat and reduce the liquid until about 350ml remains and it lightly coats a spoon. Taste before adding any salt; the jamón and concentrated juices usually provide enough.

10. 10

    Carve clean slices

    Remove every length of trussing twine and the stitched thread from the back. With a long, sharp knife, carve the poulard crosswise into slices 1.5 to 2cm thick. Arrange them slightly overlapping on the platter, spoon a little roasting juice around them, and serve the rest separately. Each slice should show a complete ring of poultry around the close-grained pork, jamón and truffle filling.

Chef Tips

• •Order the poulard in advance and ask for a bird weighing 3.2 to 3.6kg before boning, with an unbroken, well-covered skin. A small ordinary chicken doesn't have enough flesh or skin to hold this amount of stuffing.
• •A capon of the same weight is the proper substitute when poulard is unavailable. It gives a slightly firmer, fuller-flavored roast, but the temperature and resting rules stay the same.
• •Fresh black winter truffle gives the deepest aroma. If it is beyond reach, use a good whole black truffle preserved in its own juice and add that juice to the filling. Truffle-flavored oil overwhelms the poultry and gives none of the truffle's earthy depth.
• •The fried test patty matters because jamón can be mild or fiercely salty. Don't guess from the raw mixture. Cook the small piece through, taste it and correct only if needed.
• •Serve this with a mature Ribera del Duero or Rioja reserva, something with enough earth and structure for the truffle and pork but not so much weight that the poulard disappears.
• •Refrigerate leftovers within two hours. They keep for three days at 4°C or colder and are excellent sliced cold; if reheating, cover with a little roasting juice and heat the centre to 74°C.

Advance Preparation

• •The poulard can be deboned one day ahead. Keep it tightly covered on a tray at 4°C or colder, with the bones wrapped separately for stock.
• •The stuffing can be mixed up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerated in a covered container. Keep it separate from the bird and fill the poulard just before roasting.
• •The reserved carcass, neck and wing bones make an excellent unsalted poultry stock. Roast them until brown, simmer with onion and carrot, then chill or freeze until needed.
• •Allow 35 minutes for resting when planning Christmas lunch. The roast should wait before carving; the guests can manage the same.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 300g)