‌Poulet à la Crème
‌Braised Chicken in Cream Sauce
Yi e l d :   4 to 6 p ort i on s
P re pa ra t i o n t i m e :   3 0 m i n u t e s +
24 h ou r s c u r i n g + 1  h ou r
t emp er i n g
Co o k i n g t i m e :   45 m i n u t e s
‌4.5-­pound (2 kg) whole chicken
2 tablespoons (20 g) kosher salt
(see tip)
Freshly cracked black pepper
½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter,
divided
1 medium onion, peeled and cut into
4 wedges
4 tablespoons (40 g) all-­purpose
flour
½ cup (125 mL) white wine (use one
you like to drink)
1⅔ cups (400 mL) Chicken Stock
(page 308, or store-­bought) or water
Bouquet garni of bay leaf, thyme,
and parsley stems (see tip, page 47)
½ cup (125 mL) Crème Fraîche
(page 296, or store-­bought)
2 egg yolks
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
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  Poulet à la crème is shockingly easy to make, and its extreme richness
makes it very comforting, especially when the weather is cold. It definitely
ranks among chefs as a favourite home-­cooking recipe. One of my mentors,
Rob Feenie, absolutely loves it; every time we see each other, we have some
sort of discussion about this iconic dish, whether it’s about the time he first
had it in France, the fact that he could eat it every day for the rest of his
life, or versions of the recipe from some of the best French chefs in the world.
When it comes to making poulet à la crème, Rob and I agree it should be
rustic and simple, and the chicken should be cooked on the bone. You can
add wild mushrooms to the sauce if you wish, as Georges Blanc does, or opt
to keep it simple. Serve with Crêpes Vonnassiennes “Mère Blanc” (recipe
follows) and a leafy green salad with a classic vinaigrette.
TIP  When salting chicken, the perfect amount of salt is 1% of the bird’s
weight in grams. So, for a 4.5-­pound (2 kg) bird, I use 2 tablespoons (20 g)
of kosher salt.
‌ ut the chicken into 8 pieces. (If you don’t know how to do this, ask your
C
butcher to perform the task.) Make sure you’re aware of the weight of the
bird, so you can figure out the perfect amount of salt. Place the chicken
pieces on a baking sheet and generously season on all sides with salt and
pepper. Place the chicken in the fridge uncovered to dry the skin, and let
it cure for 24 hours.
Take the chicken out of the fridge 1 hour before cooking and let stand at
room temperature.
In a large braising pan on medium-­high heat, melt half the butter. Add the
chicken pieces, skin side down, and lightly brown them. (You might have
to do this in two batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan.) Transfer the
chicken pieces to a plate.
Add the onion to the pan, along with the remaining butter. Lower the heat
to medium and cook gently for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the
onion starts to take on some colour, making sure the butter doesn’t burn.
Add the chicken pieces back in. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the onion
and chicken. Add the wine, stirring gently, and simmer until the sauce
thickens. Add the stock and bouquet garni, stirring well. Lower the heat
c on tin ued
C l a s s i c F re n ch  111
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‌C R Ê P E S VONNAS SI E NNE S “M ÈRE BL A NC ”
‌Potato Pancakes
Yi e l d :   A b ou t 1 2 sm a l l
pa ncak e s
P re pa ra t i o n t i m e :   2 0 m i n u t e s
Co o k i n g t i m e :   45 m i n u t e s
‌ ounces (250 g) russet potatoes,
9 mix in the whole egg, then the egg whites, gently, without whipping them.
peeled and cut in quarters
3 tablespoons (30 g) all-­purpose
flour
1 egg
2 egg whites
⅓ cup (90 mL) heavy or whipping
cream (35% milk fat)
½ teaspoon (3 g) kosher salt
¾ cup (175 mL) Beurre Clarifié
(see tip, page 125)
112  Wh ere t h e Ri ver N a r row s
Poir_9780525611189_all_5p_r1.indd 112
to low, cover, and simmer gently for 15 minutes or until a meat thermom-
eter inserted in the thickest part of a breast registers 155°F (68°C). Using
tongs, transfer the chicken breasts to a plate.
Continue cooking the legs and thighs, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes or
until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a leg registers
155°F (68°C). Using tongs, transfer the legs and thighs to the plate with
the breasts. Discard the bouquet garni and onions (although personally, I
like to keep the onions, as they’re delicious). Check the consistency of the
sauce. It should lightly coat the back of a spoon; if it’s too thin, reduce the
liquid further.
In a medium bowl, mix the crème fraîche with the egg yolks and season
with nutmeg. While whisking constantly, gradually add a ladleful of the hot
sauce to the crème fraîche mixture to temper it. Whisk the tempered crème
fraîche mixture into the sauce. You should have a beautiful light sauce.
Return all the chicken pieces and any accumulated juices to the sauce, gen-
tly stirring to incorporate. Taste for seasoning and spoon into a large dish.
I‌ n a medium pot, add the potatoes, cover with cold water, season with salt,
and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until tender. Purée the pota-
toes with a ricer and let cool in a bowl for 10 minutes to let the steam escape.
Using a wooden spatula, work the flour into the potatoes, then gradually
Stir in the cream and salt, being careful not to overwork the batter. The
batter should be smooth and creamy. If it’s lumpy, pass it through a tamis.
In a large non-­stick frying pan on high heat, heat one-­quarter of the clari-
fied butter. Ladle in three 4-­inch (10 cm) rounds of batter, or whatever fits
nicely in the pan. Be careful—​the pancakes cook quickly, so be ready with
an offset spatula to flip them and then transfer them to a serving dish.
Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more beurre clarifié between
each batch.
TIP  You can make the batter ahead of time if you wish; that way, the cook-
ing process will be less stressful come dinnertime.
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