analitikal

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Poularde Legs stuffed with a Morel Mushroom Mousse with Pickled Ramps, Fava Beans and a Natural Chic

Ingredients:

2 boneless chicken legs (see headnote)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Morel Mushroom Mousse (recipe follows)
1 cup fava beans
1 1/2 cups pickled ramps or baby leeks (recipe follows)
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup Dark Chicken Jus (recipe follows)
Gray salt


Method:

Take the legs and carefully pound between pieces of plastic wrap to a thickness of 3/8 inch. Season the legs on both sides with salt and pepper. Lay the legs flat on a work surface, skin side down. The drumstick should be at the top. Place about 1/4 cup of the mousse an inch from the bottom of each thigh. Spread it along the bottom edge and up the pieces, leaving about a half an inch uncovered along the sides and on the top. Carefully roll the thigh from the bottom. Rolling it too tightly could push the mousse out of the sides. After the first complete roll of the meat around the mousse, fold the sides in creating closed ends as you continue to roll (like rolling a burrito or egg roll).

Tie the meat with butchers twine in five, equidistant places to keep it closed during the cooking. The string should be snug but not too tight.

To wrap the thighs in plastic wrap before poaching: Dampen the work surface to keep the plastic wrap from sliding while you work. Lay a piece of plastic wrap, about 15 inches long, with the short end facing you, on the work surface. Season the chicken thighs with kosher salt and pepper. Place a chicken thigh along the bottom of the short end of the plastic wrap six inches from the bottom edge. Lift the plastic wrap from the bottom over the chicken and gently pull the chicken toward you with one of your hands. Then continue to roll making sure the chicken is snug inside the plastic. Twist the ends so that the chicken tightens into a cylindrical shape. Tie the twists with kitchen twine.

Preheat a pot of water, large enough to have the rolled thighs completely submerged, to 152°F. Poach the thighs until their interior temperature reaches 152°F, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, while the chicken is cooking, prepare the fava beans. Remove the beans from the pods. Prepare an ice bath. Blanch the beans in a large pot of salted boiling water, about 1 minute, then chill in an ice bath. Peel the tough, outer layer from each bean and place the bean in a medium bowl.

Cut the ramps or baby leeks into 2 inch lengths. Mix with the fava beans. Set aside.

Remove the plastic wrap from the chicken and blot dry with paper towels. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, sear the chicken until it is golden on all sides, about 10 minutes.

While the chicken is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons of water in a small saucepan over medium heat until it starts to steam. Whisk in the butter. Add the fava-ramp mixture. Stir gently to warm the vegetables.

Heat the jus in another small saucepan.

Remove the strings from the chicken. Trim the ends from the chicken, then cut crosswise into six medallions each.

In the center of four serving dishes, mound the fava-ramp mixture. Overlap three pieces of chicken on each mound, and spoon the sauce around the plate. Season the chicken with a pinch of gray salt. Serve immediately.

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