Poularde à la Fermière

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •5- to 6-quart heavy oval cocotte or Dutch oven with lid
• •Heavy-duty foil for sealing the rim
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Slotted serving spoon

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the foundation

   Prepare Poularde en Estouffade (No. 1470) through the moment when the pullet is half-poêled, the carrots, onions, and celery have been fried in butter, and the strong veal stock has been reduced by half. Use one 5- to 6-quart heavy cocotte for the initial cooking and the finish instead of moving between a saucepan and a second pot; this preserves every drop of fond. Do not line the cocotte with ham. Reserve all the ham called for in the preparation and cut it into small dice.

2. 2

   Build the Fermière garnish

   Cut the French beans diagonally into lozenges about ¾ inch (2 cm) long. Add the diced ham, peas, and bean lozenges to the warm, butter-fried carrots, onions, and celery. Frozen peas may go in without thawing. Do not blanch or sauté these additions separately, because the source intends them to finish inside the bird's enclosed juices. Hold back any further salt until the cocotte is opened.

3. 3

   Seal the cocotte

   Set the half-poêled bird breast-side up over the expanded garnish and pour the reduced stock around it, scraping in any collected poultry juices. Cover the pot with a sheet of heavy foil, press it snugly around the rim, and clamp the lid over it. The old cord of paste and this foil gasket perform the same duty: they hold the cooking moisture inside. That closure is the dish, so don't lift the lid to baste.

   If your cocotte has a genuinely tight lid, the foil may be omitted. If the lid rocks or leaves a visible gap, use it; a poor seal costs more moisture than an extra spoonful of stock can replace.
4. 4

   Finish in the oven

   Set the sealed cocotte in the centre of a 400°F (200°C) oven and cook for 45 minutes, the source's full finishing time. Break the seal and test the thickest part of the inner thigh without touching bone; it must register at least 165°F (74°C), and the leg joint should yield when moved. If it falls short, reseal the pot and give it another 5 to 10 minutes.

   An instant-read thermometer gives a home cook the same certainty a brigade gained from handling many birds through service. Test once near the end, not repeatedly.
5. 5

   Correct the jus

   Lift the poularde to a board and rest it loosely covered for 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the garnish to a warm dish with a slotted spoon, then judge the jus left in the cocotte. If it is thin, boil it uncovered for 2 to 4 minutes until glossy and lightly coating a spoon. If it becomes too concentrated or salty, ça se rattrape: loosen it one tablespoon at a time with hot unsalted water. If excess fat sits heavily on top, spoon off only the surplus; leave enough to carry the butter-rich sheen.

6. 6

   Carve and serve

   Return the ham and vegetables to the cocotte. Carve the poularde into breast slices, legs, and wings, arrange the pieces over the garnish, and spoon the corrected jus over everything. Bring the cocotte straight to the table while the peas, beans, and diced ham are still glistening in the bird's juices. Cooking well is not cooking fancy. À table!

Chef Tips

• •A poularde is plump, tender, and well suited to enclosed cooking. If your butcher cannot supply one, choose a good 3½- to 4-pound (1.6- to 1.8 kg) roasting chicken with a generous breast and intact skin; technique first, always.
• •Use frozen peas when fresh peas are starchy or out of season. The classical pantry solved this long ago: peas frozen promptly after picking are sweeter than tired pods that have spent days traveling.
• •Cut the French beans into small, even lozenges so they finish with the peas. Large pieces stay awkwardly firm while the bird is ready, and the sealed pot gives you no graceful moment to correct them.
• •Ham and reduced veal stock both bring salt. Season the base moderately, then make the final decision only after the jus has reached its serving concentration.
• •Pour a supple white Burgundy with modest oak or a light red with fresh acidity. The dish wants enough structure for the ham and jus, but nothing so forceful that the peas disappear.

Advance Preparation

• •Dice the reserved ham and cut the French beans up to one day ahead, then refrigerate them separately in covered containers. Keep frozen peas frozen until the cocotte is assembled.
• •Once Poularde en Estouffade (No. 1470) is begun, continue directly through the sealed cooking. Do not chill or hold a partly cooked bird; budget the full two hours and cook it in one run.
• •Leftovers may be carved, covered with the remaining jus, chilled within two hours, and kept for up to three days. Reheat them covered at 325°F (165°C) until the poultry reaches 165°F (74°C), loosening the jus with a spoonful of water if needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 325g)