Truffled Poularde of the Grand Couvert
A golden poularde, perfumed with black truffle slipped under the skin, slowly roasted and served with its juices. The grand evening dish of the king's officers of the mouth.
A golden poularde, perfumed with black truffle slipped under the skin, slowly roasted and served with its juices. The grand evening dish of the king's officers of the mouth.
Behold this poularde: Our officers of the mouth slip slivers of truffle under its skin the day before, so that the fragrance penetrates the flesh all night long. It is turned on the spit before a clear fire, basted relentlessly with its own juices and a little fine butter. I confess without hesitation, I never leave the table without having a second helping; a good appetite is, they say, a sign of good health, and mine has never complained. Taste, and you will understand why the entire Court comes to watch Me dine.
- •Poularde grasse — one fine piece (main meat)
- •Périgord black truffle — two or three (fragrance, signature)
- •Fresh butter — a good lump (basting)
- •Fat bacon — a few slices (keep the flesh moist)
- •Grey salt, pepper, nutmeg — to taste (seasoning)
Truffled Poularde of the Grand Couvert
A golden poularde, perfumed with black truffle slipped under the skin, slowly roasted and served with its juices. The grand evening dish of the king's officers of the mouth.
Why this dish? Louis XVI was renowned for his considerable appetite, and poultry held a place of honor at his table. During the ceremony of the Grand Couvert at Versailles, where the court watched him dine, a beautiful truffled poularde embodied the tranquil opulence of the gourmand king.
Behold this poularde: Our officers of the mouth slip slivers of truffle under its skin the day before, so that the fragrance penetrates the flesh all night long. It is turned on the spit before a clear fire, basted relentlessly with its own juices and a little fine butter. I confess without hesitation, I never leave the table without having a second helping; a good appetite is, they say, a sign of good health, and mine has never complained. Taste, and you will understand why the entire Court comes to watch Me dine.
Ingredients (period version)
- Poularde grasse — one fine piece (main meat)
- Périgord black truffle — two or three (fragrance, signature)
- Fresh butter — a good lump (basting)
- Fat bacon — a few slices (keep the flesh moist)
- Grey salt, pepper, nutmeg — to taste (seasoning)
Ingredients
- Free-range chicken (1.6 kg) — 1 (main meat)
- Black truffle (or jarred truffle peelings) — 20 to 30 g (fragrance, signature)
- Unsalted butter — 80 g (basting)
- Thin bacon slices — 2 (barding the breast)
- Salt, pepper, pinch of nutmeg — to taste (seasoning)
Method
- The day before, slide thin truffle slices between the skin and flesh of the chicken, salt the inside, and refrigerate overnight so the fragrance permeates the meat.
- Remove the chicken 1 hour before cooking. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
- Massage the chicken with softened butter, season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, place the bacon slices over the breast.
- Roast for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, basting every 15 minutes with the rendered juices and a little melted butter.
- Remove the bacon 15 minutes before the end to brown the skin. Let rest 10 minutes, deglaze the cooking juices, and serve separately.
How it was made : In the 18th century, modern ovens were unknown: poultry turned on a spit before the hearth, basted constantly with a ladle. The truffle, abundant in Périgord and Quercy, was the great luxury of court cuisines described by Menon in 'Les Soupers de la Cour' (1755).
The contemporary twist : Serve the poularde accompanied by a butter-enriched mashed potato, a nod to Parmentier whom the king protected: two royal passions on one plate.
Sources : Menon, Les Soupers de la Cour, 1755 · François Massialot, Le Cuisinier roïal et bourgeois, 1691
Louis XVI · Charactorium
