I’ve got a weird relationship with chicken. Despite its being the most ubiquitous meat in America- with some small children seemingly surviving exclusively on breaded cutlets- I’ve always been underwhelmed, and, dare I say, even a little grossed out by it. This is likely exacerbated by the fact that I’ve gotten sick from chicken not once by twice in the past few years (and the second time by my own hand…), but I’ve always found it bland and not quite the right texture, and in general it’s not something I cook very often. But I’m anything if not open minded, so when I found this Julia Child recipe I felt I should put my best effort into doing the humble chicken justice.

As it turns out, poaching a chicken by Julia’s strict instructions is a very good idea. I have come to enjoy roast chicken over the years, but I don’t think it makes all parts of the bird equally delicious. Poaching a chicken totally fixes that problem, and creates light AND dark meat that is equally delicious and tender!

Which brings me to the SAUCE for this chicken. It is a buttery, creamy, VERY FRENCH sauce, one that is sophisticated and quite impressive and something that looks like you learned to make it at the Culinary Institute. It also contains tarragon, which is, in my opinion, a very underrated herb, and one that pairs excellently with chicken. It has a subtle anise flavor, and incorporates a little bit of sweetness into the savory of the dish.

Speaking of herbs- this past weekend, I spent some time on my balcony in between the intermittent thunderstorms potting a ton of herbs and also drilling holes in the bottoms of flower pots because for some reason beautiful pots nowadays don’t come with drainage holes? I’m determined this year to have a robust garden and to not have to purchase any $1.99 parsley bunches at Fairway all summer. So far, I’ve got mint, cilantro, chives, English thyme, lemon thyme, oregano, rosemary, sage, two basil plants and three parsley plants- two of which were purchased on purpose, and one which I ordered online as the elusive chervil but upon arrival it was just a pitiful parsley plant masquerading as chervil. Chervil seeds are on the way, with a promised harvest in 60 days. I haven’t found a reliable looking tarragon yet, but I’ve got my eye out.

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Casserole-Poached Chicken and White Wine and Tarragon Sauce

Category: Main Course

Servings: Serves 5-6

Ingredients

    For the Aromatics:
  • 1/2 cup sliced onions
  • 1/2 cup sliced carrots
  • 2 tablespoons butter
    For the Chicken:
  • 4 1/2 lb. roasting chicken or capon
  • 3 tablespoons soft butter (half for the inside and half for outside)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (for inside and outside of chicken)
  • Medium-sized branch of fresh tarragon or 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
    For Poaching:
  • 1 1/3 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
  • Medium-sized branch of fresh tarragon or 1/2 tablespoon dried tarragon
  • The washed chicken giblets (optional)
  • Salt, as needed
  • 2 tablespoons soft butter
    For the Sauce:
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 5 tablespoons flour
  • 1/2 to 2/3 cup heavy cream
  • Salt, white pepper and drops of lemon juice
  • 2 to 4 tablespoons butter

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°. Cook the onions and carrots in a heavy, enameled, covered casserole just large enough to hold a chicken breast-up, until tender but not brown.
  2. Sprinkle the inside of the chicken with half the salt, rub with half the butter and add the tarragon inside the cavity. Then truss the chicken (or tie down its limbs if you're lazy like me and can't find your trussing needle). When the vegetables are tender, massage the rest of the butter into the chicken skin, sprinkle with the remaining salt and arrange the chicken breast-up in the casserole.
  3. Pour the wine into the casserole and enough chicken stock or broth to reach about 1/3 of the way up the chicken. Add the herbs and giblets, if using. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove, taste the liquid and salt lightly, as needed. Drape a 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 the middle level of the preheated oven.
  4. After the chicken has been in the oven about 20 minutes, check the casserole to be sure the liquid is at a very low simmer- if the liquid bubbles actively, the flesh can break apart. Regulate the thermostat accordingly. When the chicken flesh is tender if pressed and drumsticks move in their sockets, the chicken should be ready. Test by lifting it carefully and drain the juices onto a white plate; if the last drops to come out are clear yellow with no trace of rose, chicken is definitely done.
  5. When the chicken is done and the juices have been drained from the vent, set it on a platter or side dish. Strain the cooking stock into a saucepan, pressing the juices out of the ingredients in a sieve; skim surface fat off the stock. Return the chicken to the casserole with a cup of the cooking stock, replace the cheesecloth, set the casserole cover askew and keep the chicken warm, either in a turned-off oven, on a hot tray or over barely simmering water while you prepare the sauce.
  6. Bring the cooking stock to a simmer, skimming off additional fat, and maintain at a slow simmer while making the roux. Melt the butter in a saucepan, blend in flour with a wooden spoon and stir over moderate heat until butter and flour foam together for 2 minutes without browning. Remove from the heat and as soon as the 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 a wire whip as the sauce thickens and comes to a boil. Boil, stirring, for 2 minutes- the sauce will be quite thick.
  7. Simmer the sauce, pour in 1/3 cup of the cream and add successive spoonfuls until the 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.
  8. Remove trussing strings from the chicken. Spoon enough sauce over the chicken to mask it attractively and decorate with tarragon leaves or whatever you have chosen. Pour the rest of the sauce into a bowl and serve alongside.

Notes

https://www.thekitchenchronicles.com/2018/05/24/casserole-poached-chicken-and-white-wine-and-tarragon-sauce/