Poule Au Pot (Chicken in the pot) recipe

It was Henry IV of France’s ambition to create such a wealthy nation that every family in the land would be able to afford this dish every Sunday. Of course, that put a little strain on the chicken population come Sunday, but it’s a nice story.

The original recipe for this calls to use the giblets to make a stock, but there is a tendency nowadays to remove the giblets before the chicken gets to the customer, so You will need some ready made stock instead. I prefer to use a liquid stock rather than bouillon cubes for this recipe.

This is a really easy recipe, with a fair amount of work involved though. You will need to keep an eye on the chicken and baste it regularly, so this recipe can’t be left alone for too long. Having said that, it’s really worth the effort and the result is a very tender chicken infused with the flavors of the cooking juices. This is great winter recipe. It is also a very inexpensive meal, most of the vegetables used are inexpensive and the chicken does not need to be best quality.

You will need:

Equipment:

• A large flameproof casserole dish
• A sharp knife
• A cutting board
• A large slotted spoon
• A whisk
• A serving dish

Ingredients:

• 1 medium chicken
• ½ lb bacon cut into pieces
• 3 table spoons live oil
• 4 carrots cut into 1 inche pieces
• 4 turnips cut into medium size pieces
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• ½ pint dry white wine (it’s OK to drink the rest of the bottle during cooking – just tell everyone it went in the casserole)
• 1 pint chicken stock
• 12-15 shallots
• ½ lb mushrooms, sliced thickly
• 1 bay leaf
• 12 teaspoon dried thyme
• Salt and pepper
• Flour
• Butter

First, preheat the oven to 400F. Next, place the casserole dish over a medium heat on the stovetop and add the oil. When the oil is hot, cut the bacon into pieces and add to the oil. Peel the shallots and add also. Fry until beginning to brown. We do not want the bacon crispy. Remove and set aside. Now, fry the chicken whole turning until brown all over, remove and set aside. Now, fry the turnips, crushed garlic and carrots for about 5 minutes until they also begin to brown. Return the chicken to the pan. Push the vegetables to one side and put the chicken in the middle. Add the onions and bacon also down the side of the chicken.

Add the wine and the stock. Add the herbs, bayleaf and season with slat and pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil, cover with aluminum foil and place in the center of the oven. Cook for 30 minutes, uncovering and basting the chicken with juices every 5 minutes or so.

After 30 minutes, uncover, add the sliced mushrooms and cook for a further 30 minutes, continuing to baste regularly. When the chicken is ready, remove the casserole dish from the oven and take the chicken out and place on a warm serving dish. Now, remove the vegetables and arrange around the chicken. Throw away the bay leaf. Place the serving dish in the oven to keep warm and turn the oven off. Place the casserole back on the stove top, heat on a high heat and bring the liquid to a boil. Add a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of flour n=mixed with a little water. Whisking all the time, keep boiling until the sauce becomes thick.

Now, carve the chicken, arrange on the serving plate surrounded by vegetables with the sauce poured over the top. Serve with potatoes. My favorite is roast potatoes, because they can cook in the oven at the same time as the chicken but mashed potatoes are great too.

Bon Apetit!