Poularde Victoria

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Deep, heavy ovenproof poëling pan with a close-fitting lid
• •5 to 6-quart heavy lidded cocotte
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Kitchen twine and a small trussing skewer
• •Fine strainer for the poëling juices

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the poularde

   Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Remove the poularde from the cold about 30 minutes before cooking, then dry the skin and cavity thoroughly. Season inside and out with 1½ teaspoons (7.5 ml / 9 g) of the salt and ¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml / 0.5 g) of the white pepper. A dry bird takes color; a damp one traps water beneath the butter.

2. 2

   Fill and truss

   Mix the diced truffles and chilled foie gras gently, keeping the pieces distinct. Spoon them loosely into the cavity, close the opening with a small skewer or trussing needle, and tie the legs together. Do not pack the cavity tight: compressed stuffing slows the heat and squeezes out the foie gras. If it will not all fit comfortably, put the excess in a buttered ramekin and cook it beside the cocotte during the final 15 minutes. Ça se rattrape.

3. 3

   Poêle three-parts

   Carry out Poëlings (No. 250) with the stuffed poularde, scaled to this single bird, but stop the poultry phase at three-parts completion rather than cooking it through. Begin checking after 45 minutes. The breast should register about 130 to 135°F (55 to 57°C), the thigh about 140 to 145°F (60 to 63°C), and the skin should be lightly butter-gold. Keep liquid out of the covered cooking phase, as the referenced method directs; moistening now would turn poêlé into a braise.

   If the butter darkens sharply before the bird reaches the transfer temperature, lower the oven and replace only the scorched fat with fresh butter. Do not pour in water. If the bird has already approached its final temperature, lift it out and let the potatoes cook alone before returning the poularde for the last few minutes.
4. 4

   Butter the potatoes

   While the poularde completes its first cooking, dry the potato dice thoroughly. Melt the 3 tablespoons (45 ml / 42 g) butter in a 5 to 6-quart cocotte over medium heat, add the potatoes, and season with the remaining ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml / 3 g) salt and ¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml / 0.5 g) white pepper. Toss for 6 to 8 minutes, until butter coats every face and a few edges show pale gold. They should remain firm inside; their cooking finishes beneath the lid.

5. 5

   Finish en cocotte

   Set the three-parts-cooked poularde breast-side up in the cocotte and arrange the potatoes around it rather than underneath. Cover tightly and return it to the 325°F (165°C) oven for 25 minutes without lifting the lid. Check the bird and potatoes, then uncover for 5 to 15 minutes if the skin needs more color. The poularde is ready when the thickest part of the thigh and the center of the stuffing both reach at least 165°F (74°C), while the potatoes yield cleanly to a knife.

6. 6

   Complete the poëling juices

   While the cocotte is in the oven, finish the sauce phase of Poëlings (No. 250) exactly as written, using the vegetables, butter, and stock belonging to that preparation. Strain and degrease the resulting juices, then keep them hot without boiling. If they look oily, let them stand for a minute and spoon away the fat; if they have reduced too far, loosen them with a spoonful of the stock allotted to the referenced preparation. The sauce should be clear, savory, and light enough to pass separately.

7. 7

   Rest and serve

   Lift the poularde to a warm board and rest it loosely covered for 15 to 20 minutes. If the potatoes need longer, return the uncovered cocotte to the oven; if they finish first, lift them into a warm dish and hold them while the bird rests. Carve the poularde, making certain each serving receives foie gras, truffle, and potatoes, then spoon over a little of the strained poëling juice and pass the rest at the table. À table!

Chef Tips

• •A poularde is a plump, carefully fattened young hen with more tenderness and protective fat than an everyday roasting chicken. If it cannot be found, use the best plump air-chilled chicken you comfortably can at the same weight. The result will be slightly leaner, so watch the breast temperature closely.
• •Fresh black truffle gives the fullest perfume, but a good whole preserved black truffle is the classical pantry's honest answer outside the season. Drain and dry it before dicing. Truffle oil cannot replace the pieces inside this stuffing.
• •Buy raw foie gras in one solid piece, not mousse, pâté, or a seasoned terrine. Keep it thoroughly chilled while cutting so the dice remain intact long enough to perfume the bird rather than disappearing immediately into the cooking fat.
• •Choose firm yellow potatoes that hold their edges. Floury potatoes collapse beneath the poularde and turn the buttery juices cloudy; here the large, distinct dice are part of the preparation.
• •A full white Burgundy has the body for foie gras and butter without burying the truffle. Mature Champagne is splendid as well, particularly when the poularde opens a dinner party.

Advance Preparation

• •Season and dry the poularde up to 8 hours ahead, keeping it uncovered in the refrigerator so the skin stays dry. Do not stuff raw poultry in advance; fill and truss it immediately before cooking.
• •The truffles and foie gras can be diced up to 2 hours ahead and kept separately covered in the cold. Combine them only when the poularde is ready to fill.
• •The potatoes may be peeled and cut up to 2 hours ahead, then held in cold water. Drain and dry them completely before tossing them in butter, because surface water prevents browning.
• •Poularde Victoria is best cooked for the meal rather than reheated. Leftovers should be chilled within 2 hours and used within 2 days, reheated gently with a spoonful of the reserved poëling juice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 340g)