12344 Chicken in a Pot Serves 4 Wed Aug 06 01:04:45 -0700 2008 Tue Feb 03 09:59:53 -0800 2009 Licensed http://www.chow.com/recipes/12344 Tue, 03 Feb 2009 17:59:53 GMT Character and flavor are the best words to describe this culinary gem of the French Southwest. On farms where chickens still scratch the barnyard earth and are fed on maize, they stew in the pot for many hours before coming to table. I have rarely eaten such a bird since I lived in Morocco, where there was hardly anything else. We cooked these tough birds for at least 3½ hours, which resulted in tasty but still chewy flesh. I have adapted this recipe to work with the tender, quick-cooking roasting chickens that are easily available.

In the past, the vegetables simmered along with the chicken for hours. I like to freshly steam wedges of cabbage, chunks of carrots, turnips, and potatoes, then simmer them for about 10 minutes in the chicken broth. The flavors mingled, and the chicken, stuffing, stock, and vegetables had both character and old-fashioned good flavor. Serve with the accompanying tangy Green Sauce.

In the Périgord, a similar dish is served, but sauce de Sorges(Cooked Egg Sauce), as decribed on page 144, is the typical accompaniment. The true poule au pot from the Béarn, the ultimate “mother” version from which all other regional recipes have been derived, always includes a stuffing flavored with marjoram and thyme. Otherwise, the dish is exactly the same as one I present here. This Gascon version was taught to me by Roger Duffour.

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  • Remove all excess fat from the cavity of the chicken; reserve for stock or rendering, if desired. Rinse the chicken well and pat dry. Slowly reheat the prepared stock.
  • Make the stuffing: In a medium bowl, lightly beat the egg with a fork. Add the bread crumbs and stir to mix. In a food processor, pulse the ham until coarsely ground. Add the onion, shallots, garlic, chicken livers, parsley, thyme, and sugar. Process until well blended. Add to the bread crumbs and blend with a fork or with your hands to mix. Season lightly with salt and pepper to taste. Stuff the chicken, sew up the openings carefully, and truss securely.
  • Slip the stuffed chicken into the simmering stock. Bring almost to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 1¼ hours, or until the internal temperature of the thigh reaches 160°F. Transfer the chicken to a carving board and let rest for at least 10 minutes.
  • To serve, remove the strings. Turn the chicken upside down and with poultry scissors, cut along either side of the backbone to remove it. Pry the chicken open and remove the stuffing on one piece. Quarter the chicken and slice the stuffing. Put the chicken in the center of a heated platter. Arrange the stuffing in overlapping slices around the chicken. Spoon a few tablespoons hot stock over the chicken to moisten. Serve with the steamed vegetables and the Green Sauce.
  • After the dish has been served, cool the stock, and degrease completely. Reduce to 2 quarts. Cool, cover, and refrigerate or freeze for use in other dishes.
  • In a food processor, combine the egg yolks and vinegar; whirl to blend. With the machine on, add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream. Scrape into a small bowl. Stir in the parsley and shallots. Season with salt and pepper to taste. The sauce is best prepared several hours in advance.
  • Place onion halves cut sides down on an ungreased griddle or over an open flame until browned, about 5 minutes.
  • Place the veal bones and chicken parts in a deep 7- or 8-quart kettle, stockpot, or casserole. Add 5 quarts cold water and bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, skimming often. When the liquid is clear, add the browned onion, leek, celery, parsley, tomato paste, bay leaf, thyme, salt, and the nutmeg, pepper, cloves, ginger, cayenne, and garlic.
  • Return to a boil; lower the heat and allow the stock to simmer gently, partially covered, for 3 to 4 hours. When the stock is full flavored, strain to remove the vegetables and bones. Measure the stock back into the pot, adding enough cold water to make 5 quarts.
    • ]]>     http://www.chow.com Paula Wolfert 50 Main 1 whole chicken, 3½ to 4 pounds

    ]]>     5 quarts Stock for Chicken in a Pot (page 146)

    ]]>     1 egg

    ]]>     ½ cup fresh bread crumbs

    ]]>     ½ pound jambon de Bayonne, prosciutto, or Serrano ham

    ]]>     1 small onion, quartered

    ]]>     2 shallots, coarsely chopped

    ]]>     2 garlic cloves, chopped

    ]]>     3 chicken livers, trimmed

    ]]>     2 teaspoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

    ]]>     1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

    ]]>     Pinch of sugar

    ]]>     Salt and freshly ground pepper

    ]]>     Green Sauce (at right)

    ]]>     Freshly steamed wedges of cabbage, chunks of carrots, turnips, and potatoes as garnish

    ]]>     3 hard-cooked egg yolks

    ]]>     4 teaspoons wine vinegar

    ]]>     ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

    ]]>     2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

    ]]>     2 teaspoons chopped shallots

    ]]>     Salt and freshly ground pepper

    ]]>     2 medium onions, halved, with skin on

    ]]>     3 pounds veal bones

    ]]>     3 pounds inexpensive chicken parts (wings, neck, backs, and feet) plus any loose chicken fat

    ]]>     1 large leek, halved, well washed, and cut into 3-inch lengths

    ]]>     2 celery ribs, cut up

    ]]>     ½ bunch of parsley stems

    ]]>     1 tablespoon tomato paste

    ]]>     1 imported bay leaf

    ]]>     ¼ teaspoon dried thyme

    ]]>     2 tablespoons coarse kosher salt

    ]]>     1/8 teaspoon each: freshly grated nutmeg, freshly ground black pepper, ground cloves, ground ginger, and cayenne

    ]]>     6 garlic cloves, whole and unpeeled

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