Mayonnaise de Volaille

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Broad 2-quart (2 L) salad bowl
• •Medium mixing bowl
• •Balloon whisk
• •Small saucepan
• •Sharp slicing knife
• •Two large salad servers

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the eggs

   Lower the 2 whole eggs into a small saucepan of gently boiling water and cook for 10 minutes. Transfer them immediately to cold water, let them cool completely, then peel and quarter them lengthwise. Cooling stops the yolks before a grey rim forms and gives clean quarters for the decoration.

2. 2

   Whisk the mayonnaise

   Whisk the pasteurized yolks with the Dijon mustard, 2 teaspoons (10 ml / 10 g) of the vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon (1.25 ml / 1.5 g) of the salt, and a little white pepper until smooth. Add the neutral oil drop by drop at first, whisking constantly; once the emulsion becomes thick and glossy, add the rest in a fine thread. If it separates into oil and curds, stop. Ça se rattrape: whisk 1 teaspoon (5 ml / 5 g) cold water in a clean bowl, then add the broken mayonnaise a teaspoon at a time until it becomes smooth before whisking in the remainder. The finished mayonnaise should hold a soft ribbon and spread without running.

   Room-temperature yolks, mustard, and oil join more willingly. If the finished mayonnaise becomes stiff after chilling, whisk in cold water a few drops at a time.
3. 3

   Cisel the lettuce

   Separate the broad outer lettuce leaves from the compact hearts. Cisel the broad leaves, cutting them crosswise into narrow ribbons about 1/4 inch (6 mm) wide, as evenly as you can. Quarter the small hearts lengthwise and reserve them for decorating. The leaves must be thoroughly dry; if a towel pressed against them comes away damp, dry them again, because water weakens both seasoning and mayonnaise.

4. 4

   Cut the collops

   Clear the cold chicken of every piece of skin, loose fat, cartilage, and bone. Cut the meat across the grain into neat collops, thin slices about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick. Keep the slices cold while you prepare the bowl; cold meat holds its shape and gives the composed salad its clean structure.

5. 5

   Season the dome

   Mound the ciseled lettuce in the center of a broad salad bowl, shaping it into a firm, rounded dome without crushing it. Sprinkle the remaining 1 teaspoon (5 ml / 5 g) vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon (1.25 ml / 1.5 g) salt evenly over the leaves. The seasoning belongs underneath the poultry, where it can reach the lettuce before the mayonnaise seals the dome. If vinegar pools at the bottom, lift out the lettuce, dry the bowl and leaves, then rebuild it before continuing.

6. 6

   Arrange and cover

   Lay the cold chicken collops over the lettuce in overlapping rows, covering the dome from its base to its crown. Spoon the mayonnaise over the chicken and smooth it gently with the back of the spoon into an even ivory coat. It should cloak the poultry, not run into a puddle; if it has tightened in the cold, loosen it with only a few drops of cold water.

7. 7

   Decorate the salad

   Arrange the capers, pitted olives, anchovy fillets, quartered eggs, and quartered lettuce hearts over and around the mayonnaise according to fancy. Keep the pattern generous and legible, with each garnish easy to take when the salad is mixed. This is decoration meant to be eaten, not protected.

8. 8

   Toss at table

   Carry the complete dome to the table before mixing it. Set two large serving spoons down to the bottom of the bowl and fold the seasoned lettuce, chicken, mayonnaise, and garnishes together as you would any salad, turning gently until everything is lightly coated. Serve at once, while the lettuce still has its crisp bite. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Cold roast chicken gives deeper flavor, while gently boiled chicken gives a paler, more delicate salad. Either follows the entry faithfully. Use breast and thigh together if you have them, and clear away every scrap of skin before slicing.
• •Sucrine or Little Gem supplies both broad leaves for the cisel and compact hearts for decorating. If only full romaine is available, use its outer leaves for the dome and quarter the tight inner heart lengthwise.
• •The original entry reaches for finished mayonnaise. For a picnic or a faster weeknight assembly, 1 scant cup (240 ml / 220 g) of good prepared mayonnaise made with egg and oil is an honest change in labor. The dressed lettuce, layered collops, smooth covering, and final table toss must remain.
• •Dry the capers, olives, and anchovies after draining. Wet garnishes streak the mayonnaise and loosen its surface, while dry ones sit cleanly and keep their flavor distinct.
• •For a picnic, use pasteurized yolks and carry the salad or its separate components below 40°F (4°C). Keep it in an ice-packed cooler until serving, and do not leave it at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Advance Preparation

• •Cook and chill the chicken up to 2 days ahead. Keep it whole or in large pieces until assembly so the cut surfaces remain moist.
• •Make the mayonnaise up to 2 days ahead with pasteurized yolks and refrigerate it in a covered container. Whisk in a few drops of cold water if it firms too much.
• •Hard-cook and peel the eggs a day ahead. The lettuce may be washed, dried, and ciseled up to 6 hours ahead if wrapped in a dry towel and chilled.
• •For a picnic, transport the lettuce, chicken, mayonnaise, and garnishes in separate cold containers. Build the dome shortly before serving; once salted and vinegared, the lettuce begins to soften.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 300g)