Poularde Sainte Alliance

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •5½- to 6-quart (5- to 5.7-liter) heavy lidded cocotte
• •1-quart (1-liter) heavy saucepan with tight-fitting lid
• •12-inch (30-centimeter) heavy skillet
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Fine-mesh strainer
• •Kitchen twine and 2 small metal skewers
• •Sharp carving knife and warm carving platter
• •Small heated sauceboat

Instructions

1. 1

   Seal Truffle Perfume

   Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a small, heavy saucepan over gentle heat. Add the truffles, season them lightly with some of the measured salt and pepper, and roll them through the foaming butter for 2 minutes without browning them. Pour in the Madeira and let it give one lively bubble, about 30 seconds, then remove the pan from the heat. Lay a small round of parchment directly over the truffles, close the pan with its tight-fitting lid, and crimp foil around the seam. Leave it untouched until completely cool, about 30 to 40 minutes. If the lid shifts, reseal it immediately and resist reducing the liquor to compensate, which would drive away more aroma. Ça se rattrape, provided you stop there.

   The Madeira should mingle with the truffle perfume, not boil it away. One brief bubble is enough before the pan is sealed.
2. 2

   Stuff and Truss

   Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Season the poularde inside and out with most of the remaining salt and pepper. Open the cooled truffle pan only when the bird is ready, then tip every truffle and every drop of Madeira butter into the cavity. Close the opening with two small metal skewers and tie the legs snugly with kitchen twine. The closure needn't be beautiful, but it must hold the truffles and their liquor inside while the bird cooks.

3. 3

   Poêle the Poularde

   Prepare the Poëlings (No. 250) in a deep, heavy cocotte according to its own entry, scaled to this bird. Set the stuffed poularde breast-side up in the prepared vessel, cover closely, and cook for about 50 minutes, basting with its butter every 15 minutes. Do not add stock or water during this stage: moisture would turn the poêlage into a braise and flatten the concentrated flavor. Uncover and continue cooking for 25 to 35 minutes, basting twice more, until the skin is deeply burnished, the breast registers at least 162°F (72°C), and the thickest part of the thigh reaches 170°F (77°C). If the base threatens to scorch, lower the oven by 25°F (15°C) and transfer the bird with any unblackened cooking base to a clean hot cocotte; don't drown the problem with stock. Ça se rattrape.

4. 4

   Finish Poëling Liquor

   Move the poularde to a warm carving platter and rest it loosely covered for 15 to 20 minutes, verifying that the breast reaches 165°F (74°C). Tilt the cavity over the cooking vessel to reclaim its Madeira-scented liquor, then remove the truffles to a small covered bowl. Complete the poëling liquor as directed in Poëlings (No. 250), keeping the stock in contact with the flavored butter for the full prescribed simmer before straining and degreasing it. Reduce the strained liquor until about 1 cup (240 ml) remains and it coats a spoon with a light gloss. If it is greasy, let it settle for a minute and skim again; if it becomes too strong or tight, loosen it with a little hot stock.

5. 5

   Butter-Roast the Quail

   Fill four heatproof dinner plates with hot water so they warm while the garnishes cook. Season the quail lightly with salt and pepper. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a wide skillet over medium-high heat, and when the foam subsides, lay in the quail breast-side down. Cook for 4 minutes until well bronzed, turn, and cook for another 3 minutes. Roll them briefly onto each side while spooning over the butter, 1 to 2 minutes more, until the thickest part reaches 165°F (74°C). Hold them loosely covered on a warm tray. If the butter races from brown to black, lift the pan from the heat at once and lower the burner; butter may be nutty, never bitter.

6. 6

   Sear Foie Gras

   Wipe the skillet clean and heat it over medium-high heat. Add the final 2 tablespoons of butter, then lay the cold foie gras collops into the foaming butter without crowding them. Sear for 45 to 60 seconds on each side, just until the surfaces are caramel-brown and the centers yield gently when pressed. Move them directly to the drained, thoroughly dried warm plates. If a collop begins melting before it colors, lift it out, chill the remaining slices for 5 minutes, clean and reheat the pan, then continue. Set the softened piece beneath the sliced chicken, where its shape matters less and its flavor remains. Ça se rattrape.

7. 7

   Carve and Unite

   Remove the two suprêmes from the poularde in whole lobes and slice each crosswise into thick, even pieces. Divide the slices among the four plates, arranging them directly over the foie gras. Add one warm truffle and one quail to each plate, then spoon over enough hot poëling liquor to gloss the chicken without flooding the foie. Arrange the legs and wings on the warm carving platter for second helpings, and pour the remaining liquor into a heated sauceboat. Work calmly but without delay. This union is at its best the moment it is assembled. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Fresh black truffle is not decoration here; its enclosed perfume is the organizing flavor. If the season offers none, use excellent whole preserved truffles and accept a quieter result, or save the dish for the proper moment. Truffle oil cannot do this work.
• •A true poularde has more fat and tenderness than an ordinary roasting chicken. If your butcher cannot find one, choose a plump air-chilled hen of the same weight. Technique first, always: careful poêlage matters more than a grand label.
• •The quail is a declared substitution, not a disguise. Ortolan is protected and must remain outside the kitchen. Semi-boneless farmed quail gives each diner a manageable small bird while preserving the original plate's contrast between tender poularde and darker game.
• •Ask for foie gras intended for searing and keep the collops very cold until the skillet is ready. Warm foie gras melts before it browns; cold foie gras has time to take a fine crust while the center softens.
• •Serve a dry Champagne or a white Burgundy with enough acidity to meet the butter and foie gras. Madeira already perfumes the sauce, so the wine in the glass should refresh rather than repeat it.

Advance Preparation

• •The truffles may be prepared in Madeira up to 6 hours ahead. Cool them under seal, refrigerate the unopened pan, then let it stand out of the cold for 20 minutes before the poularde is stuffed and cooked.
• •Prepare the mise en place required for Poëlings (No. 250) earlier in the day, including its butter and stock, but assemble it only when the bird is ready for the oven.
• •The quail can be dried and the foie gras cut into collops up to 6 hours ahead. Keep both covered and cold, with the foie gras on a chilled plate, then season only immediately before cooking.
• •The poultry and strained liquor can wait through the short final cooking of the quail and foie gras, but neither garnish improves by reheating. Arrange the plates, sauceboat, and carving tools before the poularde leaves the oven.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 500g)