Poule au Pot

Chicken in a Pot

Serves 4

Poule au Pot is a traditional French country recipe that translates into English as “chicken in a pot.” It is this dish that France’s King Henry IV referred to when he declared that each working peasant should never lack the means of having a chicken in the pot, every Sunday. Under Henry’s leadership, the plight of the French worker and peasant were clearly understood, with peace and prosperity restored to France after decades of religious wars. 

INGREDIENTS

1 whole chicken with the cavity cleared and cleansed

1 quart of chicken stock

4 medium sized white or waxy potatoes

2 leeks

6 large carrots

2 turnips

1 stalk of celery including the branches

3 onions

1 lemon

2 cloves of garlic

6 buds of cloves

a bouquet of fresh herbs consisting of

3 bay leafs, 1 branch of rosemary and a few branches of thyme

PREPARATION

•• Place the chicken in a large pot filled with cold water. •• Over a medium heat, bring to a boil and blanchir for 3 minutes. •• Remove the chicken from the pot and reserve to the side. •• Discard the water. •• Peel and leave whole, the potatoes, turnips, carrots, onions and garlic. •• Insert 6 buds of clove into one of the onions. •• Prepare your leeks by first removing the area of roots. •• Cut each leek lengthwise in half, then turn over in a 1/4 direction and cut again, allowing the leek to open up. •• Under running water, rinse well all the residual sand and dirt burrowed between the leaves. •• Using 1/2 of the lemon, citronner the exterior of the chicken. •• Fill the cavity with fresh herbs and the remaining lemon half, if desired. •• With the pot empty, place the carrots at the bottom. •• Introduce the chicken and arrange the leeks and remaining vegetables around it. •• Immerse the chicken with 1 quart of chicken stock and top with cold water. •• Add salt and pepper to taste and cover. •• Over a medium heat, bring the chicken to a boil and control it for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.  •• Stir regularly to remove excess vegetable foam, observing that the chicken remains in tact. •• Once you’ve determined that your Poule au Pot is properly cooked, remove the chicken and vegetables from the pot. •• Using a chinois, filter the remaining broth to clarify, for serving. •• To present, gently remove the skin, which should fall away effortlessly. •• Formally serve the chicken alongside the vegetables or carve and serve in individual soup bowls with a generous amount of the clarified broth ladled over. •• Pair with a light dry Sancerre from the Loire or a Chablis from the Burgundy region. ••

•• Fantastique ••

•• Tip •• For any next day leftovers, de-bone the chicken and combine with the remaining vegetables into a large skillet. Add 1 cup of the clarified chicken broth reserved from the day prior. Warm over a low heat for approximately 10 minutes. Present and top with a delectable sautéed mushroom sauce supreme.