2021 Tour de France - Stage 5: Changé to Laval
Welcome to a different region of France: Pays de Loire. While this region, too has a coast line, the riders continue moving inland, albeit in a very minimalist step, today. It was a time trial day and they only covered 17 miles. I didn’t get a chance to watch today’s coverage as I was out and about for work. I was actually up into the wee hours of this morning wrapping up a deadline item...of course, I also managed to squeeze in a couple of hours to make this amazing spread.
While the Mayenne department of this region is known for rillettes (typically made with pork), poultry is a key and historical product, so I decided to make Chicken Rillettes. Never heard of it? Well, it’s pretty much like a super-flavorful chicken salad, but with no mayo; just a lot of butter and natural fat from the chicken. It’s like a deconstructed matzo ball soup. Very delicious, and perfect for a very hot day when you don’t feel like eating too much.
Chicken Rillettes
adapted from Bon Appétit
This recipe originally called for 2 sticks of butter. I reduced by half and it was delicious. Be sure to use fresh herbs (dried bay leaf is ok, though).
Marinade
Whole chicken
2 tbsp olive oil
2 bay leaves, chopped
2 tbsp chopped thyme
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Dish preparation
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
1 cup white wine
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 stick butter
4 large shallots, minced
3 tbsp minced tarragon
2 tbsp minced parsley
2 tbsp minced chives
Baguette, cornichons, Dijon mustard
A day before cooking, combine the oil and herbs and rub all over the chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
When ready to cook, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large dutch oven, over medium-high heat, and brown the chicken on all sides. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Remove the chicken and sauté the vegetables, with a pinch of salt and pepper, until softened.
Stir in the thyme and bay leaves and add the chicken back to the pot. Pour in the wine and boil until nearly evaporated and then pour in the chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Cover the pot and place in the oven and cook for an hour, flipping the bird after 30 minutes.
When the chicken is cooked, remove it from the pot and allow it to cool. Pour the broth, through a strainer, into a bowl. Press the vegetables to release their flavorful juices. Return the broth to the pot and reduce to about 2.5 cups (pour the broth back into the bowl from before and hold)
Meanwhile, skin and bone the chicken, breaking it up into small pieces. Reserve.
After the broth has reduced, melt half of the butter in the pot and sauté the shallots, until softened. Add the remaining butter and once melted, stir in the chicken. Stir in the tarragon and thyme and reserved broth. Reduce the broth by two-thirds. Turn off the heat and stir in the parsley and chives.
Pour the contents into a mason jar and place in the refrigerator, uncovered, to cool. Once fully cooled, place the top on the jar. Allow the flavors to mellow a bit before serving (about 8 hours).
Spread on baguette and serve with cornichons. I like a little Dijon or whole grain mustard on the bread first.
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Copyright 2021, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.
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