Suprêmes de Volaille aux Champignons, à Blanc

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •12-inch (30 cm) shallow ovenproof sauté pan
• •2-quart (2 L) heavy saucepan
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Parchment paper
• •Warm oval serving platter and sauceboat

Instructions

1. 1

   Shape the suprêmes

   Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Pat the suprêmes dry, remove any loose sinew, and fold each thin tip underneath so the fillets have an even, plump shape. If one thick end rises sharply, press it gently to even the thickness without flattening the breast. Season both sides with 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml / 3 g) of the salt and half the white pepper, then leave them at cool room temperature while you prepare the mushrooms.

2. 2

   Cook mushrooms à blanc

   Put the mushroom caps and sliced stems in a small saucepan with the chicken stock, water, 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 14 g) of the butter, 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 15 g) of the lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon (1.25 ml / 1.5 g) of the salt. Lay a cartouche, a round of parchment paper, directly over the mushrooms and bring the liquid only to a bare simmer. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until the caps are just tender and still very white. Lift out the caps and cover them. Simmer the stems for another 5 minutes, then strain the mushroom cooking liquor through a fine sieve, pressing gently on the stems without forcing debris through.

   Closed white caps are essential here. Lemon limits discoloration, while the cartouche keeps their exposed surfaces moist; if the liquid falls below the caps, add a spoonful of water at once.
3. 3

   Poach the suprêmes

   Arrange the suprêmes snugly in a single layer in a shallow ovenproof pan. Add enough warm mushroom cooking liquor to reach halfway up their sides, about 1 1/2 cups (360 ml / 360 g), and dot them with 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 14 g) of the butter. Cover directly with a fresh cartouche, bring the liquor just to a tremble on the stove, then transfer the pan to the oven. Poach for 12 to 16 minutes, turning the pan once, until the thickest part reaches 160°F (71°C). Transfer the suprêmes to a warmed platter and cover loosely; their temperature will rise to 165°F (74°C) as they rest. If the liquor begins boiling before the chicken is ready, pull the pan from the heat immediately and let the temperature settle. A hard boil tightens the meat, but if it goes slightly too far, ça se rattrape: slice the suprêmes on a shallow diagonal and serve them generously coated with sauce.

   The low oven heats the poaching liquor evenly. The surface should barely move beneath the parchment, with no rolling bubbles around the chicken.
4. 4

   Build the velouté

   Strain the chicken poaching liquor and combine it with the reserved mushroom liquor. Measure 2 cups (480 ml / 480 g); if there is more, reduce it briskly to that amount and keep any excess separately, while if it is short by a spoonful, add water. Melt 3 tablespoons (45 ml / 43 g) of the butter in a clean saucepan over low heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the raw flour smell disappears but the roux takes no color. Whisk in the hot measured liquor a little at a time, smoothing each addition before adding the next. Bring the velouté to a full simmer for 1 minute, then cook gently for 7 to 8 minutes, whisking often, until it lightly coats the back of a spoon. If lumps appear, take the pan off the heat, whisk firmly, and pass the sauce through the fine sieve. Ça se rattrape.

5. 5

   Make the liaison

   Whisk the egg yolks and cream together in a heatproof bowl. While whisking continuously, add about 1 cup (240 ml / 240 g) of the hot velouté in a thin stream. Pour this tempered liaison back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the Sauce Allemande reaches 160°F to 165°F (71°C to 74°C) and holds a clean trail across the back of the spoon. Do not let it boil. Remove it from the heat and whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 29 g) of butter, one small piece at a time, followed by the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons (7 ml / 7 g) of lemon juice. Season with the remaining salt and white pepper. If the sauce starts looking grainy, pull it from the heat, whisk in 1 teaspoon (5 ml / 5 g) of cold water, and strain it immediately into a clean warm bowl. If it is too thick, loosen it with a spoonful of reserved liquor; if too thin, return it to the gentlest heat and stir until it coats the spoon.

   The liaison gives Allemande its velvet body, but boiling turns that body into curds. Keep the whisk moving and stop as soon as the sauce reaches nappe, meaning it coats the spoon without running off like broth.
6. 6

   Crown and sauce

   Warm the mushroom caps in 2 or 3 spoonfuls of Sauce Allemande over the lowest heat. Arrange the suprêmes on a warmed oval platter in a crown, with their narrow ends angled toward the center and slightly overlapping. Nestle the very white mushroom heads in the center and between the fillets. Coat the chicken moderately with Sauce Allemande, enough to glaze each suprême while leaving its shape visible, and pour the remaining sauce into a warmed sauceboat for the table. Serve at once. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose small, tightly closed white button mushrooms with dry, unblemished caps. Cremini mushrooms taste good, but their brown liquor changes the character of a preparation whose color is part of its technique.
• •Use unsalted or genuinely low-sodium stock. The mushroom liquor and sauce both reduce, and an assertively salted carton can become harsh before the Allemande reaches the right consistency.
• •Equal-sized suprêmes are more useful than extravagant ones. If the fillets vary greatly, remove each as it reaches 160°F (71°C) rather than making the smallest wait for the largest.
• •A dry Chardonnay with good acidity suits the cream, mushrooms, and lemon without crowding the chicken. Pour the wine cool rather than icy, so it keeps its aroma.
• •This dish is best served immediately. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and keep them for no more than 2 days; reheat the chicken gently with a spoonful of stock, and warm the sauce separately without boiling.

Advance Preparation

• •The mushroom heads and their strained cooking liquor can be prepared up to one day ahead. Refrigerate them separately in covered containers, then warm the liquor before poaching and reheat the caps in a little finished sauce.
• •The suprêmes can be trimmed and shaped up to 4 hours ahead. Keep them covered in the refrigerator and season them shortly before cooking.
• •For dinner-party service, measure the flour, portion the butter, and whisk the yolks with the cream before the guests sit down. Poach the chicken and finish the Allemande close to serving; the completed liaison dislikes prolonged holding.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 345g)