flipPoularde with Cream and Morels, NRF Dinner
Poularde with Cream and Morels, NRF Dinner
Why this dish? Co-founder of La Nouvelle Revue française, Gide hosted writers and editors. For these Parisian dinners where part of French letters was decided, the classic reception dish was served: a fine fowl in cream, a sober prestige dish, suited to his taste for moderation.
A golden poularde, simmered in a velouté of cream and dried morels. The great bourgeois dish for special occasions, where luxury is expressed through quality rather than abundance.
When the Revue gathered its people at my table, I insisted that nothing smack of ostentation: a good wine, an honest fowl, and the spirit would do the rest. The poularde simmered in its cream with those morels whose fragrance, let us say, is worth many speeches. I served without ceremony, for I believe true distinction scoffs at pomp. We talked about Dostoevsky, the sauce cooled, and no one complained.
- •Bresse poularde — 1 (meat)
- •Dried morels — a handful (flavor)
- •Raw cream — one bowl (sauce)
- •Butter — to taste (cooking)
- •Vin jaune or dry white wine — one glass (deglazing)
- •Shallots — a few (base)
Poularde with Cream and Morels, NRF Dinner
A golden poularde, simmered in a velouté of cream and dried morels. The great bourgeois dish for special occasions, where luxury is expressed through quality rather than abundance.
Why this dish? Co-founder of La Nouvelle Revue française, Gide hosted writers and editors. For these Parisian dinners where part of French letters was decided, the classic reception dish was served: a fine fowl in cream, a sober prestige dish, suited to his taste for moderation.
When the Revue gathered its people at my table, I insisted that nothing smack of ostentation: a good wine, an honest fowl, and the spirit would do the rest. The poularde simmered in its cream with those morels whose fragrance, let us say, is worth many speeches. I served without ceremony, for I believe true distinction scoffs at pomp. We talked about Dostoevsky, the sauce cooled, and no one complained.
Ingredients (period version)
- Bresse poularde — 1 (meat)
- Dried morels — a handful (flavor)
- Raw cream — one bowl (sauce)
- Butter — to taste (cooking)
- Vin jaune or dry white wine — one glass (deglazing)
- Shallots — a few (base)
Ingredients
- Poularde or good free-range chicken, cut into pieces — 1 (1.8 kg) (meat)
- Dried morels — 30 g (flavor)
- Thick crème fraîche — 25 cl (sauce)
- Butter — 50 g (cooking)
- Vin jaune du Jura (or dry white wine) — 15 cl (deglazing)
- Shallots — 3 (base)
Method
- Rehydrate the morels in warm water for 30 min; strain and reserve the liquid.
- Brown the poularde pieces in butter, set aside. Sweat the shallots.
- Deglaze with wine, add the morel liquid, return the fowl, cover and simmer for 40 min.
- Add the morels and cream, let reduce uncovered for 10 min.
- Adjust seasoning and serve with rice or steamed potatoes.
How it was made : Creamed fowl was the reception dish of the Belle Époque and interwar bourgeoisie: fine enough to honor a guest, simple enough to remain in good taste in a milieu that despised ostentation.
The contemporary twist : Finish the sauce with a dash of raw vin jaune at serving and sprinkle with crushed toasted hazelnuts.
André Gide · Charactorium
