Episode 75: Poultry

Stuffed Poussin w/ Sweetbreads, Wild Rice and Sweet Chard
Pan-Roasted Broiler Chicken in Creme Fraiche Tarragon Sauce
Chicken Liver Parfait
Chicken Galantine

STUFFED POUSSIN WITH SWEETBREADS, WILD RICE AND SWISS CHARD
4 4-pound Poussins
12 ounces Sweetbreads (blanched, pressed and picked into ½ inch pieces) (360 grams)
4 ounces wild rice (soaked and cooked until split open) (120 grams)
8 large leaves of Swiss Chard (stems removed and blanched)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (15 millilitres)
2 shallots finely diced
1 oz olive oil (1 tablespoon)
1 tablespoon chopped thyme leaves
2 ounces golden raisins (soaked in white wine) (60 grams)
Kosher Salt
Pepper
4 small bunches of red grapes
Fresh chopped thyme and rosemary
2 ounces butter (soft) (60 grams)

Preparation time is 40 minutes
Ease of preparation is moderate
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit

In a medium size frying pan, brown the sweetbreads, adding the shallots, garlic and thyme at the end. Set aside the mixture to cool. Once cool, mix in a bowl the sweetbreads, raisins, wild rice, Swiss chard and oil. Season.

Rinse the inside of the birds with water and season. Add the stuffing to the cavities and truss the birds with string. Rub soft butter, herbs and seasoning onto the skin of the birds.

Sear the birds in a hot pan. Place the birds in a roasting pan with a touch of water covering the bottom. Place the bunch of grapes on each bird and roast for 20 to 25 minutes.

Yield: 4 servings
Back to top


PAN-ROASTED BROILER CHICKEN IN CREME FRAICHE TARRAGON SAUCE
1 3 to 3½ pound broiling chicken (cut into eighths) (1 ½ kilogram)
2 cups small-diced mirepoix (500 grams)
4 cloves of peeled garlic
2 ounces olive oil (4 tablespoons)
2 cups chicken stock (500 millilitres)
½ cup Franz Reh Lark Reisling (125 millilitres)
¼ cup crème fraîche (60 millilitres)
Coarsely chopped tarragon
Kosher salt
Squeeze of lemon juice
Pepper
¼ cup 35% cream (60 millilitres)

Preparation time is 45 minutes
Ease of preparation is easy
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit

Season the chicken pieces and brown lightly in olive oil in a hot pan. When all the pieces and sides are browned, add the mirepoix, garlic and place in the oven until cooked thoroughly, about 40 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan, leaving the vegetables in. Place pan over a medium-high heat and deglaze with the white wine, add the chicken stock and reduce the liquid by half. Add the crème fraîche and cream to the reduced chicken stock, adjust seasoning and return the chicken pieces to the pan. Add the fresh tarragon and serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings
Back to top


CHICKEN LIVER PARFAIT
1 pound chicken livers, cleaned (500 grams)
4 whole eggs
1 pound of butter, melted (500 grams)
4 shallots, diced
50 millilitres Maderia (1 ½ fluid ounces)
50 milliners Port (1 ½ fluid ounces)
20 milliners Brandy (1 ½ fluid ounces)
2 sprigs of thyme
A pinch of salt and pepper
A pinch of sel rouge

Preparation time is 45 minutes
Ease of preparation is moderate
Preheat oven to 320 degrees Fahrenheit

Clean the livers, picking any pieces and obvious veins out of them. Allow them to come to room temperature along with the eggs and butter. Combine the Madeira, Port, Brandy, shallots, and thyme and reduce until the liquid is almost syrup. Once the livers, butter and the eggs are at room temperature combine them with the reduction and puree in batches in the bar blender. Add the sel rouge and seasoning.

Press the mixture through a fine chinois or sieve, then pour into plastic wrap or parchment-lined terrine molds. Place foil over each terrine and place in a warm bath. Cook in the oven for 30 minutes.

Yield: 12 servings
Back to top


CHICKEN GALANTINE
4 pound chicken (2 kilograms)
5 ounces veal shoulder, ½-inch diced (150 grams)
5 ounces pork loin, minced fine
3 ounces bacon lardons (90 grams)
2 ounces pickled ox or lamb tongue, chopped (60 grams)
2 ounces dried apricots, chopped (60 grams)
1 ½ ounces blanched pistachios (50 grams)
2 fluid ounces dry sherry (60 millilitres)
3 ounces 35% cream (80 millilitres)
1 egg
2 ounces minced shallots, sweated (60 grams)
1 ounce chopped thyme (30 grams)
Caul fat
Cheesecloth
Butchers twine

Preparation time is 1 ½ hours, with 1 hour refrigeration time
Ease of preparation is difficult

Debone the entire chicken, retaining the bones and skin for stock. With a meat mallet, flatten the chicken breasts between 2 layers of cling wrap until 1/8 inch thick. Dice the leg meat and add the veal, bacon, tongue and pork to a chilled mixing bowl over another bowl with equal amounts of ice and water in it. Add the cream and egg and mix thoroughly.

Next add the apricots, pistachios, sherry, shallots and thyme and blend together. Keep the mixture refrigerated. Arrange the flattened chicken breasts on cling film into a 12-inch by 12-inch square. With wet hands work the forcemeat into 2 large balls. Place both on the bottom third of the chicken and form it into a sausage shape, keeping within a ½ inch from the sides of the chicken. Next, using the cling film, roll the chicken around the forcemeat until the entire force is covered in chicken breasts.

Open the caul fat and spread it to an 18-inch by 18-inch square. Roll the galantine in fat until it is totally wrapped. Wet the cheesecloth, double it and lay it out on the table. In the same manner as the caul fat, roll the galantine in the cloth until 2 full layers are obtained. Tie each end with butchers twine and also lightly tie 4 more places, spaced equally around the galantine and refrigerate until you are ready to cook it.

In a strong chicken stock at a simmer, poach the galantine slowly for 15 to 20 minutes until cooked through. Remove gently from the stock and chill. Remove the cheesecloth and caul fat. Slice and serve.

Yield: 6 servings
Back to top

Recipes courtesy of Chef Michael Bonacini of Toronto’s Oliver Bonacini Restaurants, including ‘Canoe’; ‘Auberge du Pommier’; ‘Biff’s’; ‘Jump Café’; & ‘Steakfrites’