Poussins à la Polonaise

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Broad 8 to 9-quart (7.5 to 8.5 L) oval cocotte with lid
• •Small pale-lined skillet
• •Kitchen twine
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Tongs or two wooden spoons for turning the birds

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix the stuffing

   Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C), with a rack set just below the center. Press the soaked fresh breadcrumbs until no water drips when you squeeze them, then weigh out 2⅔ ounces (75 g). Work the softened butter through the crumbs, add the parsley, and fold in the chilled Gratins (No. 268) just until the mixture is even. Divide it into four portions of about 2½ ounces (71 g) each. If the mixture slumps instead of holding a spoon mark, chill it for 10 minutes. Ça se rattrape. Don't add more dry crumbs, because that would alter the book's proportion.

2. 2

   Stuff and truss

   Pat the poussins thoroughly dry, including inside the cavities, and season them with the salt. Place one portion of stuffing inside each bird without packing it tightly; the filling needs a little room to warm and expand. Fold the skin flap over the cavity, tie the legs together, then run the twine around the body to hold the wings close. This is the home translation of trussing as for entrées: compact birds that brown evenly, without the brigade's elaborate needlework. If the cavity won't close, remove a spoonful of filling rather than forcing it out through the skin.

3. 3

   Brown in butter

   Heat 4 tablespoons (60 ml / 57 g) of the browning butter in a broad cocotte over medium-high heat until the foam subsides. Brown the poussins two at a time, turning them carefully until the breasts, backs, and sides are a deep butter-gold, about 8 to 10 minutes per batch; replenish the butter as needed. This color must be made now. If the milk solids turn black or smell acrid, lift out the birds and wipe away the burnt butter before continuing with fresh butter. Ça se rattrape, but burnt butter left in the pot will follow the dish to the table.

   Crowding traps moisture around the birds. Brown in batches even if the cocotte can physically hold all four.
4. 4

   Finish in cocotte

   Return all four poussins to the cocotte in a snug single layer, breast-side up. Cover and roast for 15 minutes, then remove the lid, baste once with the clean butter in the pot, and continue roasting for 10 to 15 minutes. They are ready when the thickest part of a thigh and the center of the stuffing both register 165°F (74°C). If the skin has browned enough before the centers are ready, replace the lid and continue gently. Add no stock or water; this is a butter-finished cocotte preparation, not a braise. Transfer the birds to a warm serving dish and rest them uncovered for 8 minutes.

5. 5

   Fry the crumbs

   While the poussins rest, melt the 8 tablespoons (120 ml / 113 g) of finishing butter in a small pale-lined skillet over medium heat. Swirl as it foams; when the foam thins, the milk solids turn hazelnut brown, and the butter smells nutty, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the ½ cup (120 ml / 28 g) dry breadcrumbs. Return it to low heat and stir for 1 to 2 minutes, until the crumbs are evenly crisp and bronze. This preserves the entry's exact four-to-one ratio of butter to crumbs by weight. If the solids turn black, don't cover the mistake with crumbs. Discard the scorched butter, wipe the pan, and begin again with the reserved butter.

   A pale stainless-steel or enameled pan lets you see the milk solids change color. A dark skillet hides the moment between noisette and burnt.
6. 6

   Finish à la Polonaise

   At the last possible moment, sprinkle each poussin with a few drops of lemon juice, using no more than the tablespoon in all. Spoon the beurre noisette crumbs generously over the birds, letting the remaining butter collect beneath them. Serve at once, while the crumbs are crisp and the butter still gleams. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Ask for true poussins weighing about 14 to 16 ounces (400 to 450 g). Small Cornish game hens of the same weight are the honest American equivalent; larger birds need more cooking and throw the stuffing proportions out of balance.
• •Have the Gratins (No. 268) finished and cold before beginning this recipe. It is a referenced preparation with its own method, not a component to improvise inside the poussin recipe.
• •Weigh the soaked-and-pressed bread after pressing. The original proportion is precise: 6 ounces (170 g) Gratins, 2⅔ ounces (75 g) pressed bread, and 1⅓ ounces (38 g) butter for four birds.
• •Use real unsalted butter throughout. The beurre noisette should smell of toasted hazelnuts and show chestnut-colored milk solids; black specks and an acrid smell mean it has gone too far.
• •A white Burgundy or a dry Loire Chenin Blanc has enough body for the forcemeat and enough freshness for the lemon. Keep the rest of the plate plain, such as buttered green beans or a crisp salad.
• •Refrigerate leftover stuffed poultry within 2 hours and keep it for no more than 2 days. Reheat covered until the center reaches 165°F (74°C), then add newly fried crumbs so the finish remains crisp.

Advance Preparation

• •Prepare and chill the Gratins (No. 268) according to its own entry up to 1 day before cooking.
• •The poussins may be stuffed and trussed up to 4 hours ahead. Keep them covered in the refrigerator, then uncover and dry the skins again before browning.
• •Measure the finishing butter and dry breadcrumbs in advance, but fry them together only while the birds rest. The crisp Polonaise finish does not wait graciously.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 445g)