Poulet en Vessie with Black Truffle and Vin Jaune

⏱ 150 min · Serves 4

The great Bressane classic: a whole chicken larded with black truffle, bathed in Vin Jaune and poached gently inside a pig's bladder (or a double layer of baking parchment and foil, if your butcher can't oblige). The balloon is brought to the table and cut open, releasing a cloud of truffle-and-sherried-wine steam. The flesh is impossibly moist, and the juices become a golden cream sauce.

Per serving: 760 kcal · 58.0g protein · 6.0g carbs · 54.0g fat

Ingredients

• 1 free-range chicken, about 1.8kg, preferably Poulet de Bresse
• 1 pig's bladder, soaked and rinsed (or 2 large sheets baking parchment + heavy foil + butcher's string)
• 40g fresh black truffle (Tuber melanosporum)
• 150ml Vin Jaune (or a dry Fino/oloroso-style sherry)
• 30ml Cognac
• 60g soft butter
• 2 shallots, finely diced
• 1 small carrot, diced
• 1 celery stick, diced
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 300ml chicken stock
• 150ml double cream
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• Fine sea salt and white pepper
• Steamed rice or buttered leeks, to serve

Method

1. Slice about two-thirds of the truffle into thin discs. Loosen the skin over the chicken breasts and thighs with your fingers and slide the truffle slices underneath. Chop the remaining truffle and mash it into the soft butter with a good pinch of salt.
2. Season the cavity generously, push in the truffle butter along with the thyme and bay, and truss the bird firmly. Refrigerate, covered, for at least 4 hours or overnight so the truffle perfumes the flesh (this time is not counted below).
3. If using a bladder, soak it in several changes of cold water with a splash of vinegar, then rinse well and turn it inside out. Slip the chicken in, add the shallots, carrot, celery, Vin Jaune and Cognac, expel most of the air and tie the neck very tightly with string, leaving a little slack for expansion.
4. If using parchment, sit the chicken on a doubled sheet, spoon over the vegetables and liquids, gather the parchment into a purse and tie, then wrap tightly in two layers of foil so nothing can escape.
5. Lower the parcel into a large pot of barely simmering water (around 85C — never a rolling boil, or the bladder will burst) so it is fully submerged. Poach for 1 hour 20 minutes for a 1.8kg bird.
6. Lift the parcel out with two spatulas onto a warm deep dish and rest 10 minutes. Bring it to the table, pierce and cut open with scissors, and pour all the juices into a saucepan.
7. Reduce the juices by a third, add the stock and reduce again to about 250ml. Strain, then whisk in the cream and simmer 2 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the egg yolk to thicken without boiling, then add lemon juice, salt and white pepper.
8. Carve the chicken into four portions, spoon over the sauce and finish with a few shavings of any remaining truffle. Serve with rice or buttered leeks.