Poularde à la Louisiane

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy lidded casserole sized closely to the poularde
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Four 4-ounce (120 ml) ramekins for the rice timbales
• •Warm oval serving platter, about 18 inches (46 cm) long
• •Small warmed sauceboat

Instructions

1. 1

   Cream the maize

   Set aside ¾ cup (180 ml / 116 g) of the maize for the croustades. Melt ½ tablespoon of the maize butter in a saucepan, add the reserved maize and ¼ cup (60 ml / 60 g) of the cream, then season with a pinch each of salt and white pepper. Cook gently until the cream clings closely to the kernels, then scrape it into a bowl and reserve. In the same pan, melt the remaining 1½ tablespoons of maize butter and soften the diced capsicum for 2 minutes without browning. Add the remaining 2¾ cups (660 ml / 454 g) maize and ¾ cup (180 ml / 180 g) cream. Season with 1½ teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon white pepper, then simmer gently until a spoon drawn across the pan leaves a clean trail. The stuffing must be distinctly savoury and thick enough to mound. If it remains loose, keep reducing; if it tightens too far, loosen it with one spoonful of cream. Ça se rattrape. Spread it on a tray and cool to room temperature.

2. 2

   Stuff the poularde

   Season the poularde inside and out with 2 teaspoons salt and the remaining white pepper. Spoon the capsicum-flecked maize into the body and neck cavities without packing it hard; heat must be able to reach the centre. Close the openings with small skewers or kitchen string and truss the legs neatly. Stuff the bird only when you are ready to cook it, never hours beforehand.

3. 3

   Poêle the bird

   Cook the stuffed poularde using Poëlings (No. 250), with that preparation scaled to this one bird and its heavy lidded casserole. Begin checking after 1 hour 15 minutes. The centre of the maize stuffing must reach 165°F (74°C), and the thickest part of the thigh should register at least 165°F (74°C), preferably near 170°F (77°C), without the probe touching bone. If the breast colours before the stuffing is safe, shield only the breast with foil and continue cooking. If the temperatures are reached but the skin remains pale, brush it with butter and place it briefly under the broiler, watching every second. Rest the poularde for 20 minutes and complete the poëling stock as directed in Poëlings (No. 250).

4. 4

   Mold the rice

   While the poularde cooks, rinse the rice until the water runs nearly clear. Bring the measured water and ½ teaspoon salt to a boil, stir in the rice once, cover, and cook over the lowest heat for about 15 minutes. Remove it from the heat and leave it covered for 10 minutes, then fold in the rice butter. Butter four 4-ounce (120 ml) ramekins lightly, pack in the rice, and hold them covered in a warm place. If a timbale refuses to unmold, wrap its base in a hot damp towel for 20 seconds and try again; don't attack it with a knife.

5. 5

   Fry the bananas

   During the poularde's rest, peel the bananas and split each lengthwise to make four curved halves. Melt the frying butter in a broad skillet over medium heat and add the bananas cut-side down. Fry until golden at the edges, about 1 to 2 minutes per side, turning once with a thin spatula. The bananas must be ripe enough to sweeten but firm enough to remain whole. If they begin to soften, stop turning them and slide them directly onto a warm plate.

6. 6

   Fill the croustades

   Warm the reserved maize gently, adding a teaspoon of cream only if it has become stiff. Place the baked Croustades (No. 2393) in the turned-off oven for a few minutes to restore their crispness, then fill each with half the hot maize à la crème just before assembling the platter. Filling them early softens the pastry, and crisp pastry is part of the contrast.

7. 7

   Build the platter

   Set the rested poularde breast-side up in the centre of a warm oval platter. Unmold two rice timbales along each long side and alternate them with the four fried banana halves. Place one maize-filled croustade at each short end. Strain and degrease the finished poëling stock from Poëlings (No. 250), taste it for salt, and serve it in a warmed sauceboat rather than flooding the crisp skin. Bring the whole bird to the table and carve there. À table!

Chef Tips

• •A true poularde is a plump, tender young hen with more fat than an ordinary roaster. If your butcher doesn't carry one, choose the broadest, best-fleshed roasting chicken you can comfortably buy. Technique first, always.
• •Use sweet red capsicum, not a hot pepper. Its job is colour and a faint vegetal edge against the maize and cream; cayenne would turn the garnish into another dish.
• •Season the maize while it is warm and taste it beside a small piece of banana if you're uncertain. If the pairing tastes merely sweet, add salt. The bird, maize, rice, and fruit should meet in balance, not collapse into pudding.
• •A dry white Burgundy or a full, dry Chenin Blanc has enough body for the butter and cream while keeping its footing beside the banana. Serve the poëling stock separately so every guest controls the richness.

Advance Preparation

• •The Croustades (No. 2393) may be baked one day ahead, cooled completely, and stored airtight. Re-crisp them empty before filling.
• •Both maize preparations may be cooked one day ahead and chilled separately. Bring the stuffing portion only to room temperature before filling the poularde, stuff immediately before cooking, and reheat the croustade portion gently at service.
• •Measure the rice and prepare the ramekins earlier in the day, but cook and mold the rice while the poularde poêles. Fried bananas wait for nobody; cook them during the bird's rest.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 720g)