Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 2 (115 page)

2 Tb butter

A heavy enameled casserole or roaster just large enough to hold the chicken comfortably breast-up

Preheat oven to 325 degrees in time for Step 2. Cook the onions and carrots in the covered casserole, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender but not brown. Meanwhile, prepare the chicken as follows.

A 4½ lb. ready-to-cook roasting chicken or capon

3 Tb soft butter (half for inside and half for outside of chicken)

½ tsp salt (for inside and outside of chicken)

A medium-sized branch of fresh tarragon, or 1 tsp fragrant dried tarragon

Prepare chicken for roasting as described in paragraph preceding recipe, but before trussing it, sprinkle with half the salt, and add the tarragon; then truss the chicken. When vegetables are tender, massage the rest of the butter into the chicken skin, sprinkle with remaining salt, and arrange the chicken breast-up in the casserole.

1⅓ cups dry white wine, or 1 cup dry white French vermouth

2 or more cups chicken stock or canned chicken broth

1 bay leaf

6 parsley sprigs

A medium-sized branch of fresh tarragon, or ½ Tb fragrant dried tarragon

The washed chicken giblets (neck, gizzard, heart, wing nubbins, wishbone)

Salt as needed

A double thickness of well-washed and rinsed damp cheesecloth to cover chicken breast and thighs

2 Tb soft butter

Waxed paper

Pour the wine into the casserole, and enough chicken stock or broth to reach about ⅓ the way up the chicken. Add the herbs, and giblets. Bring to simmer on top of the stove, taste liquid, and salt lightly, as needed. Drape the damp, washed cheesecloth over the breast and thighs; it should be long enough to fall into the liquid all around so that it will draw the broth over the chicken and baste it during the cooking. Smear the butter over the cheesecloth, top with waxed paper, cover the casserole, and set in middle level of preheated oven.

(*)
AHEAD-OF-TIME NOTE
: You may arrange the chicken in the casserole with wine, broth, cloth, and trimmings, then refrigerate, and poach it the next day.

2) Poaching the chicken—1 hour and 30 to 40 minutes at 325 degrees

After chicken has been in the oven about 20 minutes, check casserole to be sure liquid is at the very slow simmer—if liquid bubbles actively, flesh can break apart. Regulate thermostat accordingly; except for making sure cooking is slow and gentle, you have nothing more to do until chicken is done.

When chicken flesh is tender if pressed and drumsticks move in their sockets, chicken should be ready. Test by lifting it carefully (use trussing strings between thighs and elbows) and drain juices onto a white plate; if last drops to come out are clear yellow with no trace of rose, chicken is definitely done.

3)
The sauce—sauce à l’estragon—for 2½ cups

A sieve set over a 2½- to 3-quart stainless saucepan

4 Tb butter

A second 2½- to 3-quart saucepan, heavy-bottomed and enameled or stainless

5 Tb flour

A wooden spoon and a wire whip

When chicken is done and juices have been drained from vent, set it on a platter or side dish. Strain cooking stock into saucepan, pressing juices out of ingredients in sieve; skim surface fat off stock. Return chicken to casserole with a cup of the cooking stock, replace cheesecloth, set casserole cover askew, and keep chicken warm, either in turned-off oven, on a hot-tray, or over barely simmering water while you prepare a
sauce velouté.

Bring cooking stock to the simmer, skimming off additional fat, and maintain at slow simmer while making the
roux
: melt butter in saucepan, blend in flour with wooden spoon, and stir over moderate heat until butter and flour foam together for 2 minutes without browning. Remove from heat, and as soon as
roux
stops bubbling, pour in 2 cups of the hot chicken stock, blending vigorously with wire whip. When smooth, return over moderate heat and stir rather slowly with wire whip as sauce thickens and comes to the boil. Boil, stirring, for 2 minutes—sauce will be quite thick.

½ to ⅔ cup heavy cream

Salt, white pepper, and drops of lemon juice

2 to 4 Tb soft butter

Simmering the sauce, pour in ⅓ cup of the cream, and add successive spoonfuls until sauce thins out but is still thick enough to coat a spoon nicely. Taste very carefully for seasoning, adding salt, white pepper, and lemon juice to taste. Just before serving, remove from heat and beat in the enrichment butter by spoonfuls.

4)
Serving

A hot, lightly buttered serving platter

Either
10 to 12 large fresh tarragon leaves dropped 30 seconds in boiling water and laid on a plate;
Or
slices of truffle or fluted and cooked mushrooms, and parsley or watercress if needed

A warmed sauce bowl

Remove trussing strings from chicken, and set it on platter; wipe up any juices. Spoon enough sauce over chicken to mask it attractively, and decorate with tarragon leaves or whatever you have chosen. Pour rest of sauce into bowl. Make a presentation of the chicken to your guests, who will want to admire it. Then, if it is not to be carved at the table, carve in the kitchen; arrange the pieces over a bed of rice, and spoon a little of the sauce over each. Decorate again with tarragon leaves or whatever you have chosen, and serve.

(*)
AHEAD-OF-TIME NOTE
: You may keep the chicken warm for half an hour at least as suggested at the end of the first part in Step 3. Complete the sauce except for the final butter enrichment, clean sauce off sides of pan with a rubber spatula, and dot a tablespoon of soft butter on surface of sauce, spreading it lightly and evenly with the back of a spoon; keep sauce warm, uncovered, over simmering water.