Poularde en Chaud-froid

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Snug 7 to 8-quart heavy pot with lid
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Deep basin or sink for the ice bath
• •Fine-mesh sieve and tightly woven cloth or coffee filter
• •Medium heavy saucepan and whisk
• •Wire rack set over a rimmed tray
• •Deep 8-inch (20 cm) square glass or porcelain serving dish
• •Small pastry brush and sharp paring knife

Instructions

1. 1

   Poach the poularde

   Set the poularde breast-side up in a snug 7 to 8-quart pot. Add the water, wine, onion, carrot, leek, celery, bouquet garni, 1 tablespoon (18 g) of the salt, and the peppercorns; the liquid should cover the bird, so choose the smallest pot that holds it comfortably. Bring it up slowly, skimming away the grey foam before the liquid reaches a simmer. Lower the heat and hold the poach between 175 and 185°F (80 and 85°C), with only an occasional tremor at the surface, for 50 to 60 minutes. The thickest part of the thigh must reach 165°F (74°C). A boil tightens the breast and clouds the liquor, so lower the heat immediately if the pot grows lively.

   Keep the poularde submerged with a small heatproof plate if it floats. Even contact with the liquor gives you evenly cooked meat and a pale, unblemished surface.
2. 2

   Cool in the liquor

   Remove the pot from the heat and let the poularde rest in its liquor for 15 minutes. Cover the pot, then set it in a deep sink or basin filled with ice and cold water, keeping every drop of the cooling bath outside the pot. Stir the liquor gently around the bird every few minutes and replenish the ice until it falls below 70°F (21°C) within 2 hours; move the covered pot to the refrigerator and continue chilling until the liquor and chicken are at or below 40°F (4°C). Do not lift the bird out early. Cooling in the liquor keeps the meat succulent, and that is the heart of the method.

3. 3

   Joint and skin

   Lift the cold poularde onto a rack and strain the liquor through a fine sieve. Remove the surface fat, then simmer the liquor uncovered until it tastes distinctly of chicken and measures about 6½ cups (1.55 L); cool it again before clarification. Remove the breast halves neatly from the carcass, separate the legs into thighs and drumsticks, and reserve the wings and remaining meat for another meal. Peel every scrap of skin from the 6 serving pieces and pat them thoroughly dry. Sauce cannot cling to wet skin or damp meat.

   Work while the bird is thoroughly cold. The meat is firmer, the skin releases more cleanly, and the serving pieces keep their shape.
4. 4

   Clarify the liquor

   Reserve 2 cups (480 ml) of the reduced liquor for the chaud-froid sauce. Combine 4 cups (960 ml) of cold liquor with the ground chicken and 2 egg whites in a clean saucepan. Stir constantly over medium-low heat until the proteins rise into a pale raft and the first quiet simmer appears, then stop stirring. Open a small hole in the raft and maintain the barest simmer for 25 minutes, ladling liquid through the opening from time to time. Pass it slowly through a damp, tightly woven cloth or coffee filter without pressing. If the liquid boils and the raft breaks, cool it, whisk in the third egg white, and repeat over gentler heat. The aspic can still be made clear.

5. 5

   Prepare the aspic

   Measure 3½ cups (840 ml) of clarified liquor, reducing it gently if you have more. Cool ½ cup (120 ml), sprinkle 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon (20 ml / 12 g) of the gelatin over it, and leave it for 5 minutes to bloom. Heat the remaining liquor until hot but not boiling, then stir in the bloomed gelatin until completely dissolved. Season delicately with some of the remaining salt. Spoon a little onto a chilled saucer and refrigerate it for 10 minutes: it should tremble and melt readily under the tongue, not bounce. If it is too firm, dilute it with clarified liquor; if it remains liquid, bloom some of the reserved gelatin in a spoonful of cold liquor and add it gradually. Pour ¾ cup (180 ml) into a deep 8-inch (20 cm) square serving dish to make a thin base, then chill until set. Reserve ½ cup (120 ml) of liquid aspic for the sauce and keep the rest fluid over barely warm water.

6. 6

   Build the chaud-froid

   Melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour, and cook the roux for 3 minutes without allowing it to color. Whisk in the reserved 2 cups (480 ml) of cooking liquor a little at a time, bringing each addition smooth before the next. Simmer gently for 15 minutes, add the cream, and continue until the sauce is nappante, coating the back of a spoon in an opaque ivory layer. Stir in the reserved ½ cup (120 ml) of liquid aspic, then season with lemon juice, white pepper, and salt as needed. Pass the sauce through a fine sieve and cool it, stirring occasionally, until it reaches about 70°F (21°C) and flows like thick cream.

7. 7

   Dip and decorate

   Set the cold, dry poultry pieces on a rack over a tray. Dip each piece into the chaud-froid, turning it carefully so the sauce covers every exposed surface, then lift and let the excess drain before returning it to the rack. If the sauce runs off transparently, it is too warm; chill it for a few minutes and dip again. If it sets in ridges, warm the bowl over tepid water and stir until smooth. Ça se rattrape. Place a fine slice of truffle on each piece while the coating is still tacky, then chill for 20 minutes.

8. 8

   Glaze with aspic

   Cool some liquid aspic until it is cold but still pourable. Spoon or brush a thin coat over each chilled piece to seal the truffle, chill it for 10 minutes, then apply a second fine coat. Once set, trim away any sauce or jelly skirts with a small sharp knife. Arrange the pieces side by side on the set aspic base. Cool the remaining aspic until slightly thickened, pour it around the pieces halfway, and chill for 15 minutes so nothing floats. Add the rest until the poultry is just covered. If the ivory coating begins to streak, the aspic is too warm; stop, chill both dish and poultry, cool the aspic further, and continue.

9. 9

   Chill and serve

   Refrigerate the assembled chaud-froid for at least 2 hours, or overnight, until the aspic is softly but completely set. Bring it to the table in its square dish and use a broad serving spoon so each portion receives some clear aspic. For a buffet lasting longer than 30 minutes, set the serving dish over a shallow tray of crushed ice; carved ice has no work to do at a home table. Keep the dish below 40°F (4°C) until serving. À table!

Chef Tips

• •A true poularde is fattier and rounder in flavor than an everyday young chicken. If your butcher cannot supply one, choose an air-chilled bird of the same weight; the result will be a little leaner, but careful poaching preserves the dish's intent.
• •Preserved whole black truffle is the honest classical pantry answer when fresh truffle is out of season. Drain it well and slice it very thin. Truffle oil cannot supply the quiet texture or clean aroma this decoration requires.
• •Gelatin varies in strength, so the chilled-saucer test matters more than the packet directions. The finished aspic should hold a serving piece without becoming rubbery, then soften almost immediately in the mouth.
• •Serve the chaud-froid with a sharply dressed green salad, good bread, and a dry Champagne or mineral white Burgundy. Keep the accompaniments brisk because the sauce and aspic are deliberately rich.
• •Save the wings, carcass, vegetables, and any surplus liquor. Pick the meat for a salad and freeze the bones and liquid for another stock; formal presentation is no excuse for waste.

Advance Preparation

• •For the calmest dinner party, poach the poularde one day ahead and refrigerate it completely submerged in its liquor. Joint, coat, and assemble it the following day.
• •The finished dish can be assembled up to 24 hours before serving. Once the aspic is set, cover the dish without touching its surface so it does not absorb refrigerator odors.
• •Leftovers keep for up to 2 days under refrigeration at or below 40°F (4°C). Do not freeze them; freezing destroys the aspic and leaves the sauce grainy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 400g)