flipChicken in Half-Mourning with Truffles
Chicken in Half-Mourning with Truffles
Why this dish? Truffled poultry graced the tables of grand Belle Époque dinners, those France honored with his conversation at Madame de Caillavet's. The chicken "en demi-deuil" — white skin striped with the black of truffles — was the centerpiece that crowned the meal and the gourmandise of an era.
A fine poached chicken, slices of black truffle slipped under the skin creating dark patches — hence its name "half-mourning." Melting flesh, deep earthy truffle perfume: the summit of French umami.
They called it half-mourning, and I loved that name: gluttony too, you see, must wear its little elegant mourning. Observe how the truffle slices were slipped under the skin the evening before, so the perfume would permeate the flesh overnight — patience, sir, is the first virtue of cooking as of literature. Then it was gently poached in a good broth, never hurried, and served with coarse gray salt: luxury, you see, is hiding nothing that is good.
- •Bresse chicken — one fine bird (noble meat)
- •Black truffles from Périgord — two or three (aromatic signature)
- •Pot-au-feu stock — one large pot (poaching liquid)
- •Carrots, turnips, leeks — one bunch (poached garnish)
- •Coarse gray salt — at serving (table seasoning)
Chicken in Half-Mourning with Truffles
A fine poached chicken, slices of black truffle slipped under the skin creating dark patches — hence its name "half-mourning." Melting flesh, deep earthy truffle perfume: the summit of French umami.
Why this dish? Truffled poultry graced the tables of grand Belle Époque dinners, those France honored with his conversation at Madame de Caillavet's. The chicken "en demi-deuil" — white skin striped with the black of truffles — was the centerpiece that crowned the meal and the gourmandise of an era.
They called it half-mourning, and I loved that name: gluttony too, you see, must wear its little elegant mourning. Observe how the truffle slices were slipped under the skin the evening before, so the perfume would permeate the flesh overnight — patience, sir, is the first virtue of cooking as of literature. Then it was gently poached in a good broth, never hurried, and served with coarse gray salt: luxury, you see, is hiding nothing that is good.
Ingredients (period version)
- Bresse chicken — one fine bird (noble meat)
- Black truffles from Périgord — two or three (aromatic signature)
- Pot-au-feu stock — one large pot (poaching liquid)
- Carrots, turnips, leeks — one bunch (poached garnish)
- Coarse gray salt — at serving (table seasoning)
Ingredients
- Free-range chicken — 1 (1.8–2 kg) (meat)
- Black truffle (fresh or preserved) — 30–40 g (signature)
- Rich chicken stock — 3 L (poaching liquid)
- Carrots — 4 (garnish)
- Turnips — 3 (garnish)
- Leeks — 3 (garnish)
- Coarse salt and pickles — at serving (accompaniment)
Method
- The day before: slice the truffle into thin strips and gently slide them between the skin and flesh of the chicken. Refrigerate, wrapped, overnight to diffuse the perfume.
- Truss the chicken to keep its shape during poaching.
- Bring the stock to a simmer (never a rolling boil) and submerge the chicken; poach for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes at a gentle simmer.
- Add the turned vegetables halfway through cooking so they remain firm.
- Check doneness (the juices should run clear), let rest for 10 minutes.
- Carve at the table, serve with vegetables, a ladle of broth, coarse salt, and pickles.
How it was made : The "half-mourning" is a glory of Lyonnaise and bourgeois cuisine, later popularized by Mother Brazier. In France's time, slipping truffles under the skin of a poached chicken was the ultimate gesture of luxury for grand dinners — truffles were then sold at Les Halles by the basket.
The contemporary twist : Serve the poaching broth separately as a truffled consommé in a cup before carving the chicken: two pleasures for the price of one bird.
Sources : Auguste Escoffier, Le Guide culinaire (1903) · Prosper Montagné, Larousse gastronomique (1938)
Anatole France · Charactorium
