Poulet de Grains en Cocotte

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •5 to 6 quart heavy lidded cocotte
• •8 to 10 inch skillet
• •2 quart saucepan
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Kitchen twine

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the bird

   Take the chicken from the cold 30 minutes before cooking and heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Dry the bird thoroughly, including the cavity, because surface moisture prevents the butter from doing its browning work. Season inside and out with 2 teaspoons of the salt and all the pepper, tuck the wing tips underneath, and tie the legs together loosely so the bird cooks evenly.

   Choose a young chicken within the stated weight. A large roasting bird will still be cooking when the classical quantity of garnish is ready, and the balance of the entry is lost.
2. 2

   Half-cook the garnish

   Put the potatoes in a small saucepan, cover with cold water, and add the remaining 3 teaspoons salt. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 7 to 9 minutes, until a knife enters the outside easily but meets a firm centre. Drain and let them dry. Meanwhile, frizzle the lardons in a dry skillet over medium heat until their edges are bronzed, then lift them out. Pour off the pork fat, wipe the skillet, and melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the onions and roll them frequently for 7 to 8 minutes, until pale gold and about half-tender. Do not cook any garnish completely; it still has to absorb the chicken butter in the cocotte.

3. 3

   Brown under cover

   Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a 5 to 6 quart cocotte over medium heat, holding back a teaspoon in case the butter needs refreshing. When the foam subsides, lay in the chicken breast-side down and cover. Brown for 5 to 6 minutes, turn the bird onto one side, replace the lid, and continue turning every 5 minutes until every broad surface is a deep butter-gold, about 20 to 25 minutes altogether. If liquid collects and the skin stays pale, uncover the pot and raise the heat just long enough to boil the moisture away, then continue turning. Ça se rattrape. If the butter turns black and smells bitter, move the chicken aside, wipe out only the burnt loose butter without scraping away the brown fond, add the reserved teaspoon, and lower the heat.

4. 4

   Finish the cocotte

   Set the chicken breast-side up. Arrange the half-cooked potatoes and onions around it, add the frizzled lardons, and roll the garnish through the butter and chicken fat. Cover the cocotte and transfer it to the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the potatoes are tender, the breast reaches 165°F (74°C), and the thigh reaches about 175°F (80°C) without touching bone. If the chicken is ready before a potato yields cleanly to a knife, lift the bird out to rest and return the covered garnish to the oven for another 5 to 10 minutes. Never hold a cooked chicken hostage to a raw potato.

5. 5

   Rest and gloss

   Lift the chicken to a board and rest it for 15 minutes. Spoon off excess clear fat from the cocotte, leaving the browned fond and about a tablespoon of fat with the garnish. Set the pot over medium-low heat, add the prepared veal jus, and roll the potatoes and onions through it for 1 to 2 minutes, scraping lightly so the fond enriches the jus. It should cling in a thin gloss, not form a deep sauce. If it tastes too concentrated, loosen it with a spoonful of hot water; if it runs like broth, simmer it for another minute. Return the whole chicken to the cocotte, spoon a little jus over its breast, and carve at the table. À table!

Chef Tips

• •The grain-fed label is less important than buying a young chicken of the right size. Technique first, always. A modest bird dried carefully, seasoned properly, and browned with patience will give you the better supper.
• •Classical tournage means trimming potatoes into even olive shapes so they cook at the same rate. They need not be geometrically perfect. Keep them equal in size, round off sharp corners, and save the trimmings for soup or a purée.
• •Use fresh belly or unsmoked salt pork rather than heavily smoked bacon. Smoke would take command of a dish whose flavour is meant to remain butter-gold, delicate, and plainly chicken.
• •Prepared veal jus is the honest home equivalent of the old sauce station. If veal is unavailable, reduce 1/2 cup (120 ml / 120 g) good unsalted chicken stock to 1/4 cup (60 ml / 60 g). The finish will be lighter, and that is better than muddying the bird with beef stock.
• •Pour a white Burgundy or another restrained Chardonnay with enough freshness to meet the butter. Bring the cocotte itself to the table; cooking well is not cooking fancy.

Advance Preparation

• •The onions may be peeled and the potatoes trimmed up to a day ahead. Keep the onions covered in the refrigerator and the potatoes submerged in cold water, then drain and dry the potatoes thoroughly before par-cooking.
• •The lardons, onions, and potatoes can be prepared through their half-cooking stages up to 4 hours ahead. Cool and refrigerate them separately, then take them out 30 minutes before they join the chicken.
• •Have the veal jus ready before the bird enters the cocotte. The finished dish is best served immediately, while the skin retains its buttered surface and the potatoes still hold their neat shape.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 380g)