On Saturdays, a slug would seem more energetic by comparison. It is both my best and worst trait that I feel no qualm about giving myself a break on the weekend. The good news is that by Sunday, I’m usually much better rested and in the mood to cook a proper Sunday meal. Newly refreshed with the day stretched out before me, Sundays are a great day to try something new.
My inspiration one week was an article on the French classic, Poule au Pot. Its fancy name belies the simplicity of this dish. An entire bird is submerged in a pot surrounded by water, aromatics and vegetables. At the end of an hour and half, you have a meal.
I love the idea of a chicken in a pot. However, in a traditional preparation, the bird is first stuffed, then boiled and, when complete, is intended to be served in two courses. The first is a bowl of broth from the simmering chicken, the second is the chicken alongside the sliced stuffing accompanied by a white sauce, aioli and/or a vinaigrette. I believe there is an elegant simplicity to separating the meal into two courses.
The day was engulfed in a cold, foggy mist and the kids were sulkily re-reading the comics. So when I asked if they wanted to help with dinner, they jumped up ready to join the cause and it turned out to be the perfect dish for family intervention.
The girls practiced chopping under close supervision and Dad pulled out the bird and placed it in the pot. While the chicken was simmering on the stovetop, we stirred together mayonnaise, garlic and a little lemon juice to make an aioli.
For a change of pace, I blitzed together a thick herby vinaigrette to help provide this sedate dish with an acidic punch. We also find ourselves seeking out even the slightest glimpse of green on a cold winter’s night.
The girls set the table with interpretive napkin folds and candles. We sat down in the shimmering light and let the fragrant broth envelope us with the warmth of enjoying something we created as a family.
It is no further effort to separate the meal into two courses and it provided us the time together to slowly savor our meal and each other’s company.
After the last slices of chicken, stuffing and sauces were passed, we sat back in our chairs feeling comfortably full and even warm despite the arctic chill outside. Then we looked around the table and smiled. We admired the relaxed elegance of a Sunday family supper.
- 2 cups stale bread 1-inch cubes
- 1 Tablespoon Italian parsley, minced
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 Tablespoons minced ham
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 egg beaten
- ½ cup milk
- 1 whole organic chicken (chicken is the focus here so it needs to be best quality)
- Bouquet garni with 6 to 8 peppercorns, a bay leaf and sprigs of thyme and parsley*
- 2 quarts water, approximately (you will need enough water to cover the chicken in the pot)
- 1 cup white wine
- 4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped in half
- 4 celery stalks, including leaves, chopped in half
- 1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
- 3 leeks, white parts only, sliced in half and rinsed well to remove any grit
- 2 cloves peeled garlic
- 2 teaspoons salt and more to taste
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- Handful of Italian parsley leaves
- 4 cornichons (or other small pickles. Mini dills would work well, too)
- 2 teaspoons capers in brine, drained (optional)
- 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons country-style Dijon mustard
- 1 small shallot bulb, quartered
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 Tablespoons good quality mayonnaise
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon garlic, finely minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Dash of paprika
- Remove giblets from cavity of the chicken and rub salt and pepper over and under the skin, wherever possible. Place into a large stockpot.
- Mix stuffing ingredients together. Pack (don’t cram) into the chicken's cavity and tie legs together over the cavity to close.
- Place chicken into a large stockpot, add wine and add enough water to cover. Place onto high heat to bring to a boil while you prep vegetables.
- Place leeks, carrots, celery, onion and garlic into pot with bouquet garni, salt and pepper.
- Once chicken comes to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer.
- Cover the pot and simmer gently for about 1 ½ hours.
- While the chicken cooks, combine the ingredients for each sauce.
- For the Vinaigrette:
- Place all ingredients except oil into a mini chopper or food processor. Blend until finely chopped. Add oil in a stream in a processor or to mini chopper with a few pulses to combine.
- For the Quick Aioli:
- Combine all ingredients with a good stir.
- Chicken is ready when a leg easily pulls away from the carcass. At this point, carefully remove to a cutting board. Remove carrots to a dish and set aside. Remove and discard the bouquet garni. Gently remove the stuffing, slice and keep warm covered on a plate.
- Shred chicken off of bone and keep warm.
- Bring broth up to a boil and reduce for about 20-30 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. I sometimes shorten the reducing step above and need to add a little Better than Bouillon chicken broth base to season.
- To serve Family and Forks style, ladle up a small bowl of broth for each person. Enjoy. Once soup is consumed, place chicken slices/pieces on a platter surrounded by vegetables and stuffing. Pass around with the sauces.
- *Don't be scared of the long list of ingredients. There are many different ways to prepare this dish quickly. It just needs time alone in a pot.
- *The stuffing is optional. A pot of rice or even egg noodles would work well, too. We usually have left over bread on Sundays and stuffing is easy for kids to get their hands in the mix, so to speak.
- *We often have much more broth than we need so I pour the remainder into BPA-free plastic containers to freeze and use later whenever a recipe calls for chicken broth.
- *Lunchbox ideas: The next morning, I heat up the broth with leftover chicken and rice or noodles. In a few minutes it's ready and I ladle into insulated containers for the girls to take for lunch. I can manage this without my first shot of espresso, it's that easy.