Poularde Rose de Mai

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •6 to 8 quart stockpot that holds the pullet snugly
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •2 quart saucepan or saucier
• •Wire rack and rimmed tray
• •Poultry shears and a narrow boning knife
• •Eight 3-inch boat-shaped molds for Barquettes (No. 314)
• •Long chilled serving platter

Instructions

1. 1

   Poach the pullet

   Set the pullet breast-up in a stockpot that holds it snugly. Add the carrot, leek, onion, celery, bouquet garni, 1 tablespoon of the salt, the peppercorns, and enough cold water to cover. Bring the liquid up slowly, skimming away the grey foam before it reaches a simmer. Hold it at the faintest tremble, partly covered, for 50 to 65 minutes, turning the bird once, until the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F (74°C). Never let it boil: boiling tightens the breast before the legs are ready.

   If the pot begins boiling, lower the heat immediately and add a small ladle of cold water. This won't reverse overcooking, but it stops the damage and returns the poach to its proper gentle tremble.
2. 2

   Chill bird and broth

   Lift the pullet onto a rack over a tray and let it lose its surface heat for 20 minutes. Refrigerate it uncovered until completely cold, about 3 hours, then cover it. Strain the poaching liquid through a fine sieve, discarding the vegetables and bouquet garni. Cool the broth rapidly over an ice bath and refrigerate it; once cold, lift away every trace of surface fat. Reserve 2 cups for the chaud-froid, 2 cups for the jelly, and 1¼ cups for the rice. Get both bird and broth into the refrigerator within 2 hours of leaving the heat.

3. 3

   Set the chicken jelly

   Put ½ cup of the cold reserved broth in a small bowl and sprinkle the 1 tablespoon of gelatin evenly over it. Leave it for 5 minutes to swell. Heat the remaining 1½ cups of broth until hot but not boiling, stir in the softened gelatin until completely dissolved, and season assertively with salt because cold dulls flavor. Strain again. Reserve ¾ cup in a covered bowl for binding and glazing, then pour the rest into a shallow tray in a layer about ⅜ inch thick. Chill until firm enough to cut, at least 2 hours.

4. 4

   Make the chaud-froid

   Sprinkle the 2 teaspoons of gelatin over 3 tablespoons of the cold broth measured for the sauce and leave it to swell. Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour, and cook gently for 2 minutes without letting the roux color. Whisk in the remaining broth a little at a time, then simmer gently for 12 to 15 minutes until the velouté coats the back of a spoon. Add the cream and simmer for 3 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the softened gelatin, lemon juice, white pepper, and enough salt to taste complete when cool. Pass the sauce through a fine sieve, then stir it over an ice bath until it falls from the spoon in a slow, unbroken ribbon.

   If the chaud-froid sets before you can coat, place its bowl over barely warm water and stir until fluid again. If it runs like milk, keep stirring over ice. Ça se rattrape: the correct consistency is heavy cream, neither liquid nor paste.
5. 5

   Build the rice cushion

   Rinse the rice until the water runs nearly clear. Put it in a small saucepan with the reserved 1¼ cups of broth, the remaining tablespoon of butter, and a pinch of salt. Cover and cook at the barest simmer until tender and dry, about 16 minutes, then rest it off the heat for 10 minutes. Stir in ¼ cup of the reserved liquid chicken jelly while both are still warm. Pack the rice into a low oval, about 1 inch high, at the center of a long chilled platter. Smooth it firmly, cover, and refrigerate until set.

6. 6

   Fill the barquettes

   Arrange the 8 prepared Barquettes (No. 314) on a tray, keeping them in their molds if the molds support their shape. Spoon the Préparation de la Mousse de Tomates (No. 814) into them, using about half the mousse and leveling each filling just above the rim. The mousse must remain airy and spoonable; don't beat it again. Chill the filled barquettes until the mousse is set, about 1 hour.

7. 7

   Raise the suprêmes

   Set the thoroughly chilled pullet breast-up on a board. Cut down each side of the breastbone and follow the ribs with the knife to lift both suprêmes, the breast fillets, in clean whole pieces. Remove the skin from the suprêmes and trim them evenly. With poultry shears, carefully clip away the exposed breastbone and sharp rib ends while leaving the legs, wings, and remaining carcass intact. Pat every surface dry, then return the suprêmes and carcass to the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

8. 8

   Coat the carcass

   Place the cold, dry carcass on a rack over a clean tray. Ladle the ribboning chaud-froid over it from the center outward, letting the sauce cover the skin, legs, wings, and cut surfaces in an even ivory coat. Refrigerate for 15 minutes, then add a second thin coat wherever the first looks translucent. If the sauce slides off, the bird is damp or the sauce is too warm. Scrape the sauce from the tray, dry and rechill the bird, cool the sauce to a heavier ribbon, and coat again.

9. 9

   Reconstruct the bird

   Transfer the coated carcass onto the chilled rice cushion. Spoon the remaining Préparation de la Mousse de Tomates (No. 814) into the hollow left by the breastbone, building it into a smooth, rounded breast shape. Keep the contours generous rather than fussy; the pale rose mousse should read as part of the bird, not as piping decoration. Chill until firm, about 45 minutes.

10. 10

    Coat the suprêmes

    Slice the two cold suprêmes diagonally into 8 even pieces. Arrange them on a rack and coat each completely with the remaining chaud-froid. While the surface is still tacky, center a thin truffle diamond on every slice. Chill for 20 minutes, until the white coating is firm and matte.

11. 11

    Glaze and cut jelly

    Warm the remaining ½ cup of reserved chicken jelly only until fluid, then cool it until barely cool to the touch. Brush a thin layer over every coated suprême so the truffle and sauce take on a clear gloss. If the chaud-froid softens or streaks, the jelly is too warm; chill the slices again, cool the jelly further, and reglaze. Turn the set jelly from its tray and cut it into croûtons, small diamonds and triangles about ¾ inch across.

12. 12

    Assemble the platter

    At the last moment, release the filled Barquettes (No. 314) from their molds and arrange them evenly around the rice cushion. Place one glazed suprême slice on each barquette, truffle facing upward. Distribute the croûtons of jelly between them and around the base of the reconstructed pullet. Keep the platter chilled until 15 minutes before serving so the mousse stays set but the chicken loses its refrigerator chill. Serve two barquettes per person, then carve the coated legs from the centerpiece if wanted. À table!

Chef Tips

• •A poularde is a young hen raised for tenderness and a little more fat than an ordinary roasting bird. If your butcher doesn't carry one, choose a compact chicken with a broad breast and unbroken skin; careful poaching matters more than pedigree.
• •The half-whipped cream in Préparation de la Mousse de Tomates (No. 814) is not a decorative detail. Cream beaten stiff makes a set mousse dry and woolly on the tongue; barely whipped cream gives it the unctuous, fresh texture the dish requires.
• •If boat-shaped molds are unavailable when making Barquettes (No. 314), use eight small fluted tartlet molds of equal capacity. The silhouette changes, but the crisp pastry support and one-to-one proportion with the suprême slices remain intact.
• •Season the broth, sauce, mousse, and jelly a little more firmly than you would serve them warm. Cold softens salt, acidity, and pepper, so a timidly seasoned component disappears once the platter is chilled.
• •A dry Champagne suits the cool chicken, tomato, cream, truffle, and crisp pastry without weighing on them. Pour it cold, but not numb.

Advance Preparation

• •Prepare the Préparation de la Mousse de Tomates (No. 814) and Barquettes (No. 314) according to their own entries. The barquettes can be kept unfilled in an airtight tin for a day; fill them no more than 2 hours before service so the pastry stays crisp.
• •Poach and chill the pullet one day ahead. Strain, chill, and defat its broth at the same time, keeping both covered once fully cold.
• •The chicken jelly and chaud-froid can be made one day ahead. Rewarm each separately over barely warm water until fluid, then cool it back to the proper coating consistency before use.
• •The reconstructed pullet and coated suprêmes can be completed up to 4 hours before serving. Add the final jelly glaze, unmold the barquettes, and assemble the platter shortly before it goes to the table.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 700g)