Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 2 (120 page)

2)
Preparing and stuffing the chicken

A 4½-lb. roasting chicken or capon

Slit the skin of the chicken along the breast bone from neck end to tail end; turn chicken over and slit skin from neck to tail ¼ inch from edge of backbone on each side.

Cut off wings at elbows. Then, except for strip of skin at backbone, peel the rest of the skin off the chicken. Being careful not to detach the following pieces from the chicken, cut through ball joints attaching wings to shoulders, second joints to hips, and drumsticks to second joints; this is to prevent these appendages from kicking through the pastry during cooking. Remove breast meat, and cut out upper half of breastbone-rib structure as illustrated
here
. Cut the breast meat in strips and marinate, if you wish, in wine and herbs as described in the
Master Recipe, Step 1
. Make a brown chicken stock with the giblets, skin, and scraps (Volume I, page 236).

3½ cups of any
stuffing for chicken
, the
évocation d’Albuféra
being particularly recommended

A skewer or knitting needle just long enough to go through carcass at knees and to protrude ¼ to ½ inch on each side

Following
illustrated directions
, stuff the chicken and lay the breast strips on top. Insert skewer as in the illustration, to keep legs in place during baking; it will be drawn out from the crust before serving.

3)
Enclosing chicken in pastry

The chilled pastry from Step 1

White wine, or vermouth, or chicken stock; or the garlic-cooking liquid if you are using
farce évocation d’Albuféra

A pastry brush

A shallow buttered roasting pan or edged baking sheet large enough to hold chicken easily

Egg glaze (1 egg beaten in a small bowl with 1 tsp water)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees in time for Step 4. Roll ⅔ of the pastry out on a lightly floured board, making an oval
³
⁄
₁₆
inch thick and large enough to cover top and sides of chicken. Paint chicken with wine or stock, and press the pastry in place over the flesh. (Leave a small opening at one side or both for removal of skewer after baking.) Trim off any extra pastry, leaving only enough to cover sides of chicken completely. (Bare bottom of chicken rests on baking surface.)

Roll out pastry scraps, cut into whatever designs you wish, paint undersides with egg glaze, and affix to the pastry.

(*)
AHEAD-OF-TIME NOTE
: If both stuffing and chicken were cold before being combined, chicken may be covered, refrigerated, and baked the next day. Note, however, that roasting time may be 15 to 20 minutes longer than time indicated in Step 4.

4)
Baking—1½ to 1¾ hours

The egg glaze and the pastry brush

Aluminum foil or brown paper

When oven has been preheated to 400 degrees, paint surface of pastry and decorations with egg glaze. Draw the point of a knife over glaze into pastry to make decorative cross-hatch marks.

Immediately set chicken in middle level of preheated oven. In 20 to 25 minutes, when pastry has begun to brown nicely, turn thermostat down to 350 degrees. Look again in another 30 minutes, and if pastry is browning too much, cover loosely with foil or brown paper. Chicken is close to being done when juices begin to exude in
pan, and is definitely done when pan is removed, tipped, and last juices running from under crust are clear yellow with no trace of rose. As soon as chicken is done, remove from oven.

5)
Sauce and serving

A lightly buttered serving platter

2 Tb minced shallots or scallions

¼ cup dry (Sercial) Madeira, dry port wine, or dry white French vermouth

A saucepan containing 1 cup of brown chicken stock (or a combination of chicken broth and beef bouillon)

½ cup
crème fraîche
or heavy cream

If needed: 1 tsp cornstarch blended with 1 Tb stock or wine

2 to 3 Tb soft butter

A warm sauce boat

Remove chicken to serving platter, and carefully extract skewer that has held legs in place. Stir the shallots or scallions and wine into the juices in the roasting pan, set over moderate heat, and scrape up all coagulated bits of flavor into juices and wine with a wooden spoon. Scrape liquid into saucepan with the stock, and boil down rapidly to concentrate flavor. Add cream, and boil a few minutes to thicken lightly. (If it seems necessary, remove from heat, beat in cornstarch mixture, and simmer 2 minutes more to thicken.) Carefully correct seasoning. Just before serving, remove from heat and swirl in butter a half spoonful at a time. (You will have only a cup, just enough to moisten each serving.)

To serve, cut straight down through top of crust from neck to tail, and spread crust to sides of chicken. Remove legs and wings, and cut into serving pieces. Give each guest both white and dark meat, stuffing, and a piece of the crust; spoon a bit of the sauce over or around the meat.

(*)
AHEAD-OF-TIME NOTE
: You may keep chicken warm for an hour, if necessary; let it sit out at room temperature for 20 minutes, then keep in a 120-degree oven (or in the turned-off oven, reheating briefly from time to time if necessary).