French Classics Made Easy (25 page)

POACHED CHICKEN
WITH CREAMY TARRAGON SAUCE

[POULARDE POCHÉE À L’ESTRAGON]

A sumptuous and elegant dish,
poularde pochée à l’estragon
begins with a whole chicken poached in a veal or chicken stock with a few aromatic vegetables. The resulting fortified stock is turned into a creamy white tarragon sauce. In restaurants, the dish would be offered only if two or more people were sharing it. At the three-star restaurant Oustaù de Baumanière in Les-Bauxde-Provence (in the south of France), however, I was allowed to order
poularde à l’estragon
just for myself. The entire chicken was brought to the table in a huge white tureen, my piece carved off and the rest returned to the kitchen. (The staff ate well that day.)

F
RENCH
C
HICKEN
T
ERMS

Americans are often confused by all the different names used in French chicken recipes:
poussin, poulet, poularde, poule,
and
coq
being only some of them. These terms correspond to the terms we use to indicate size (and often age) of a chicken. A
poussin
is a baby chicken. A
poulet
is a broiler or a fryer, depending on its size. A
poularde
is a roaster. A
poule
is a stewing hen. And a
coq
is a rooster.

In updating this recipe, I use chicken parts or boneless breasts in place of the whole chicken. This shortens the cooking time and allows me to easily prepare this dish for a large dinner party. To make things simple, I prepare the chicken and sauce (a tarragon-flavored velouté) in advance. The chicken is then reheated in barely simmering stock and served with the reheated sauce.

SERVES 6

3½ pounds chicken parts or 6 boneless, skinless half breasts (about 2 pounds)

1 carrot, sliced

1 onion, quartered Bouquet Garni (
page 306
)

1 tablespoon plus

2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon

2 quarts chicken stock, homemade or canned (see chart,
page 305
)

½ teaspoon salt (¼ teaspoon if using canned stock)

⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2½ tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

½ cup heavy cream

1.
In a 4-quart Dutch oven or saucepan, combine the chicken, vegetables, bouquet garni, 1 tablespoon of tarragon, and the stock (it is not necessary for the stock to cover the chicken completely). Bring to a boil over high heat and season with the salt and pepper. Reduce the
heat, cover, and simmer until the juices run clear when the chicken is pierced with a fork, 25 minutes for chicken parts, 15 minutes for breasts.

2.
Remove the poached chicken pieces and skin them. Strain the stock. Measure out 3 cups of the stock, skim to remove any fat, and set aside. Return the remaining stock and the chicken to the Dutch oven and keep warm. (If you are preparing the chicken in advance—up to 2 days—refrigerate it in the poaching liquid. Before proceeding, bring the stock and chicken to a bare simmer. When ready to serve, remove the chicken to a heated platter and keep warm. Reserve the poaching liquid for another use.)

3.
Place 1 cup of the skimmed stock in a small saucepan. Reduce over high heat until only 2 or 3 tablespoons remain, about 7 minutes.

4.
In another small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until the mixture becomes pale yellow and frothy, 30 to 45 seconds. Add the remaining 2 cups skimmed stock and stir with a whisk until the sauce comes to a boil, 2 to 3 minutes. When it comes to a boil, whisk vigorously for about 10 seconds, then reduce the heat and simmer gently, whisking the velouté sauce well from time to time until it is the consistency of heavy cream, 2 to 3 minutes. Skim the surface, removing the butter and impurities several times during the cooking, and follow by whisking the velouté well each time.

5.
Add the reduced stock, cream, and the remaining tarragon. Bring the velouté back to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until it is the consistency of heavy cream, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. (The velouté can be prepared up to 2 days in advance. Cover the surface with plastic wrap, let cool, and refrigerate. Before serving, bring to a boil and whisk well.)

6.
To serve: If you have not already done so, remove the chicken from the poaching liquid (reserve for another use) and drain on paper towels. Place the chicken in a deep serving dish and pour the sauce over it. You can strain the hot velouté sauce over the chicken, removing the tarragon as it is done in the classic style, or omit the straining if you prefer. Serve immediately.

SERVING SUGGESTION

Start with a first course of asparagus. Serve the chicken with Boiled White Rice (
page 206
) or Rice Pilaf (
page 207
). For dessert, serve a sorbet and Almond Tuiles (
page 252
) or Oranges in Champagne (
page 285
).

WINE

Champagne or chilled Chardonnay goes well with poached chicken.

CHICKEN IN A POT

[POULE AU POT]

When you’re not feeling your best or you are in the mood for a light meal, this dish of tender chicken and vegetables simmered in stock is just right.

Ordinarily, the soup and the chicken would be served as separate courses, but I prefer to skin the chicken and take the meat off the bone, making the dish both easier to eat and easier to make ahead of time. You can also simplify things by using canned chicken stock if you don’t have homemade.

1 chicken (about 4 pounds), cut into 8 serving pieces, or equivalent parts

3 quarts chicken stock, homemade or canned (see chart,
page 305
)

1 leek (white part only), washed and cut into 2-inch pieces

2 onions, quartered (see Note)

2 small white turnips, peeled and quartered (optional)

3 carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces

2 celery ribs, cut into 2-inch pieces Bouquet Garni (
page 306
)

½ teaspoon salt (¼ teaspoon if using canned stock)

⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

½ cup rice, cooked; or ¼ pound cooked thin egg noodles; or 6 new potatoes, diced and cooked

SERVES 4 TO 6

C
UTTING
P
OULTRY
I
NTO
S
ERVING
P
IECES

To halve (for 1-pound bird): Cut out the back and remove the breastbone.

To quarter (for 2-pound bird): Above steps, plus separate the breasts from the legs.

To cut into 8 serving pieces (for 3- to 4-pound bird): Remove legs (thigh and drumstick). Remove the back and then the remaining backbone. Cut through the white cartilage covering the sternum from the inside—do not cut through the breastbone. Pry the breasts back to reveal the breastbone and remove it with your fingers. Halve the breast and cut each half in two with poultry shears or a cleaver. Turn the legs skin side down; you will see a line of fat on the inside of the joint between the drumstick and thigh. Where that line ends is the proper place to separate the thigh and drumstick.

1.
In a large stockpot or flameproof casserole, combine the chicken and stock. Bring to a boil, uncovered, over high heat, about 20 minutes. Skim the foam, fat, and impurities that rise to the surface.

2.
Add all the remaining ingredients except the cooked rice, noodles, or potatoes. Bring back
to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, partially covered, until the chicken is cooked and the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. If necessary, cook an additional 5 to 10 minutes. Skim occasionally to remove fat, foam, and impurities that rise to the surface.

3.
Remove the pot from the heat and uncover. Transfer the chicken and vegetables to a large bowl. Discard the bouquet garni. Skim the surface of the soup to remove all fat. Strain, if necessary.

4.
When the chicken is cool enough to handle,

T
O
C
UT A
C
OOKED
B
IRD INTO
S
ERVING
P
IECES

Carving a chicken or other bird into serving pieces is not hard, as long as you have a sturdy, sharp knife. Remember that the knife will cut easily through joints, but not through bone. If you run into a bone, move a little to the left or right to find the joint and then cut through it.

1.
Turn the bird on its side. Slice down the body to remove the leg (thigh and drumstick).

2.
Pull the leg away.

3.
Separate the leg into drumstick and thigh.