Poulet A La Creme Recipe 45

POULET A LA CREME RECIPE - (4/5)

Steps:

• Tie sachet ingredients into a cheesecloth square and set aside, then generously season chicken pieces on all sides with salt and pepper. Heat a large pot or Dutch oven on medium-high and add 2 tablespoons of butter. Once the butter is melted, add the chicken and lightly brown on all sides. Add onions with remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and cook on medium-low heat for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms and cook for 3 more minutes, stirring. Sprinkle flour evenly over chicken, mushrooms, and onions, and cook, stirring until flour is dissolved and lightly colored, about 4 minutes. Add wine to the pot, stir well, and simmer until liquid reduces by half. Add chicken stock and sachet, stir well, cover, and simmer lightly for 15 minutes. Remove and reserve the breasts in a warm spot and let the legs and thighs cook for another 15 to 20 minutes. Remove sachet and remaining chicken, and check sauce's consistency (it should lightly coat the back of a spoon; reduce If necessary). Add cream, bring to a boil, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot (reserving the onions and/ mushrooms). Return mushrooms, onions, and the chicken to the sauce to heat all ingredients through. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with chopped parsley, Chervil, tarragon, and chives. Check seasoning, and serve with warm rice.

GRATINEED CHICKEN IN CREAM SAUCE (POULET à LA FERMIERE)

Steps:

• Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.
• Heat butter in a 12-inch ovenproof deep heavy sauté pan over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then brown chicken all over, in batches if necessary, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate and cover. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pan.
• Tie parsley, thyme, and bay leaf in cheesecloth to make a bouquet garni, then add to pan with carrots and onions, stirring to coat with fat. Add wine and deglaze by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until liquid is reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add broth and chicken, skin sides up, with any juices from plate, and simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Add potatoes and salt and pepper to taste and simmer, covered, until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
• Preheat broiler.
• Discard bouquet garni. Stir in crème fraîche, peas, and salt and pepper to taste, then turn chicken in sauce to coat. Sprinkle dish all over with Gruyère and broil 4 to 5 inches from heat until browned and sauce is bubbling, 3 to 4 minutes.

POULET à LA NORMANDE

Steps:

• Pat the chicken very dry with paper towels, and season well with salt and pepper. Heat the fat in a large Dutch oven or deep skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Brown the chicken, in batches if necessary, skin side down until deep golden, 6 to 8 minutes, then flip, and sear the other side until golden, another 3 minutes.
• If flambéing: Make sure there is nothing flammable near or above your stove. Gently warm the Calvados in a saucepan over medium heat. When the chicken is well browned, protect your hand, and use a long kitchen match to light the liquor on fire, then carefully pour it into the chicken pan. The flame can shoot over 2 feet high, so be careful. Cook until the flame subsides. If not flambéing: Once the chicken is browned, turn off the heat, and add the Calvados. When the sizzling subsides, turn the heat on to medium low, bring the liquid to a simmer and cook for 4 minutes to evaporate the alcohol.
• Add the cider and onions, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Turn the heat down to a very gentle simmer. Quickly peel and core the apples, and cut them into 1 1/2-inch chunks, and place them on top of the chicken. Cover the pan, and cook, checking occasionally to ensure the liquid is maintaining a gentle simmer, not boiling, until the chicken is just cooked through, 35-40 minutes.
• Remove the chicken, onions and apples to a platter, and cover. Make a slurry with the cornstarch and 3 tablespoons of cold water. Stir this into the braising liquid, and bring to a simmer for 1 minute, until thickened. Stir in the crème fraîche, and season the sauce with salt to taste, replace the chicken, onions and apples in the sauce and serve with crusty bread and a salad.