Poule au Pot

La Poule au Pot
Chicken, Vegetables and Stuffing French-Style in a Pot

This is an interesting recipe I
 found in Cooks Illustrated a
few months ago. This is from
South West France, and instead

of stuffing the chicken, Cooks
Illustrated wrapped the stuffing
in parchment paper and used
chicken parts rather than a whole
chicken.The chicken simmers on
top of vegetables and a little chicken broth to produce a lovely juicy tender meat.
You need a 7 quart Dutch oven and a roll of parchment paper.

Sausage Stuffing

Ingredients

2 slices hearty white sandwich bread torn into quarters
1 large egg
1 shallot minced
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped fennel fronds
2 teaspoons ground mustard
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh marjoram
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1lb pound breakfast sausage (or sweet Giannelli sausage)

Directions

Tear 2 slices of hearty white sandwich bread into pieces

roll up stuffing in parchment

and place in a food processor . Pulse 10 to 15 times until finely ground.
Add 1 egg, 1 finely minced shallot,
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley, 2 tablespoons finely chopped fennel fronds,
2 teaspoons ground mustard,
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh marjoram and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to food processor and pulse 6 to 8 times.
Add 1/2 lb breakfast sausage meat and pulse 3 to 5 times, scraping down sides as needed.

twist both ends to compact mixture into cylinder shape

Place an 18 by 12 inch piece of parchment paper on counter, with longer edge parallel to edge of counter. Place half of stuffing onto lower third of parchment, shaping it into roughly a 8 by 2 inch rectangle. Roll up sausage in parchment, gently but firmly twist both ends to compact mixture into 7 inch cylinder shape, approximately 2 inches in diameter. Repeat with second piece of parchment and remaining stuffing.

Chicken

Ingredients

2 celery stalks halved crosswise
8 sprigs parsley
6 sprigs fresh marjoram
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 bone-in split chicken breasts (12oz)
2 bone in chicken leg quarters (12oz)
salt and pepper
1 1/2 lbs small red potatoes unpeeled
2 carrots peeled and cut into 1/2 inch lengths
1 fennel bulb, stalks trimmed, bulb quartered
8 whole peppercorns
3 garlic cloves peeled
3 1/2  cups chicken broth

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. and have the
oven rack at middle position.

Wash the chicken, pat dry with a paper towel,
and sprinkle salt and pepper over chicken.
Heat 3 teaspoons vegetable oil in a Dutch
oven over medium high heat until just smoking.
Place the chicken, skin down, leave for 7 minutes
without moving the chicken until browned. Transfer
chicken to large plate, discard any excess fat in the
Dutch oven.

Using kitchen twine, tie together celery, parsley sprigs, and marjoram sprigs . Carefully arrange celery bundle, potatoes, carrots and fennel in even layer over bottom of pot. Sprinkle peppercorns, 1 bay leaf, garlic and salt over vegetables. Add enough broth so that the top 1/2 inch of vegetables is above the liquid.

Place leg quarters on top of vegetables in center
 of pot. Place stuffing cylinders on either side of

leg quarters. Arrange thighs on top of leg quarters.
Cooks recommends placing the pot on high heat
and bringing the mixture to a simmer first, then
transferring to the oven.
Bake in oven 60 to 75 minutes.
Chicken should register 160 degrees F.

Transfer chicken and stuffing cylinders to carving
board. Using slotted spoon, transfer vegetables to
serving platter, discarding celery bundle. Pour broth
through strainer, discard solids. (I didn't discard the
vegetables or strain the liquid) Let stand for 5 minutes.
Unwrap stuffing cylinders and slice in 1/2 inch thick
disks. Transfer slices to platter with vegetables.
Remove skin from chicken pieces and discard.
Pour some of the broth over chicken. Sprinkle dish
with chopped parsley.

David proclaimed it was the best chicken he’s ever tasted.