Search
Close this search box.

Chicken in Half Mourning

Like truffles? Join me for a hands-on truffle hunting food & wine weekend!
Chicken in Half Mourning - raw

This is my version of poulet demi-deuil, a classic French dish made by placing shaved black truffles under the skin of a chicken, resembling the veil of a woman in mourning. It seems that the appearance is only ‘half mourning’ because some of the bird’s white flesh is still seen; full mourning would be entirely black. Traditionally chicken in half mourning is braised, however I prefer the flavour and look of roast chicken, so this is my variation. While truffles are indulgent, a little goes a long way and you can buy a small one online starting at around $75 (with delivery) from Fish River Truffles near Bathurst (use code Roberta20 to save 20%). Enjoy it all with an elegant chardonnay such as Soumah Equilibrio. Serve it with some braised lettuce or baked honey carrots if you like. Bon appétit!

Serves 4–6

Ingredients
  • 30g black truffle
  • 1 tablespoon Cognac
  • 1 x 1.7kg chicken
  • 50g cold butter
  • 500ml chicken stock
  • 1 brown onion, sliced
  • 2 fresh bay leaves, crushed
  • 6 sprigs thyme
  • Salt flakes and freshly ground white pepper, to taste
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • ¼ cup crème fraîche
  • Steamed rice, for serving
Method
  1. Finely slice the truffle, add it to the Cognac and set aside for 10 minutes or so.
  2. Meanwhile, wipe out the belly cavity of the chicken to remove any blood and pat the skin dry with paper towel.
  3. Place the chicken on its back with the legs facing you and gently slide your hands under the skin of the breast and thighs to loosen it, taking care not to tear it.
  4. Finely slice half the butter, reserving the rest for later.
  5. Drain the truffle, leaving any small bits of truffle in the liquid and set it aside.
  6. Arrange all except 2 of the truffle slices between the skin and the flesh of the breast, with a sliver of butter underneath each piece of truffle.
  7. Place the final 2 pieces of truffle under the skin of each thigh with a sliver of butter.
  8. Truss the chicken (details here and video below) and place on a large plate, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
  9. About an hour before cooking, remove chicken from the fridge, remove plastic wrap, cover with a clean, dry tea towel and set aside to come to room temperature.
  10. Preheat oven to 200°C.
  11. Add chicken stock, onion, bay and thyme to a flameproof baking dish and place a cake rack into the dish so that it sits above the liquid.
  12. Sprinkle chicken generously with salt and pepper.
  13. Combine reserved butter with garlic and rub it all over the chicken.
  14. Place chicken on the rack, breast side up. Cover chicken with baking paper, tucking any overhanging inside the dish.
  15. Cover dish tightly with foil and place in the oven for about an hour, until the juices run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced with a skewer.
  16. Increase oven to 220°C, remove the foil and baking paper and cook for a further 10-15 minutes, until skin is crisp and golden.
  17. Remove from the oven, transfer chicken to a lipped plate, cover loosely with foil and set aside in a warm place.
  18. Place baking dish on the stove top over high heat, stir in reserved Cognac and boil for about 5 minutes until reduced to a light sauce consistency.
  19. Remove bay leaves and thyme stems, stir in crème fraîche and transfer to a sauce jug.
  20. Carve chicken and serve with steamed rice and sauce on the side.
Download a Print Friendly Version

Share page on:

How To Truss A Chicken

See more Recipe Videos

Join Me Soon

What Other Cooks Say

Melisa (Beacon Hill, NSW)
Melisa (Beacon Hill, NSW)
Read More
We made the pot-sticker dumplings and bang bang chicken from the Chinese class the other night. Once again both exceeded our expectations. My husband keeps saying it’s better than going out to restaurants as the recipes and quality are amazing.
Glennis (Caringbah South, NSW)
Glennis (Caringbah South, NSW)
Read More
The whole Be Inspired experience has helped me love cooking again. I was sick of cooking the same old things - meal time is a lot brighter thanks to you Roberta.
Pam (Cammeray, NSW)
Pam (Cammeray, NSW)
Read More
Your recipes are something I always feel confident offering guests and also reasonable in the time to prepare. We often try your recommended wines and suppliers and enjoy your travel tales too!
Jen (Tamarama, NSW)
Jen (Tamarama, NSW)
Read More
Thank you for stocking our pantry with such authentic Ingredients and quality produce. We really like the flexibility of cooking over a couple of days and changing the order we cook the dishes in when we want to. And I love listening to the themed playlist while cooking.
Katrina (Arncliffe, NSW)
Katrina (Arncliffe, NSW)
Read More
I am absolutely loving Be Inspired! There are ingredients I have never worked with before so having the confidence to try something new is so much fun! The recipes are just amazing and the notes on what can be prep’d beforehand are a great help too. Thank you so much.
Deb (Belconnen, ACT)
Deb (Belconnen, ACT)
Read More
Awesome fun traveling through Emilia-Romagna experiencing first hand some of the produce I've worked with over the last couple of years cooking with Roberta's classes – the family are reaping the benefits now.
Judith (Woronora, NSW)
Judith (Woronora, NSW)
Read More
Food, wine and travel! Three of my favourite things! Be Inspired with Roberta has been a wonderful experience and given me more confidence in the kitchen. I have learnt so much, cooked things I never would have attempted without Roberta’s excellent videos, and used ingredients I have never tried before.
Sandra (Garran, ACT)
Sandra (Garran, ACT)
Read More
I'm a competent cook whose learned so much from Roberta's online cooking classes. The recipes are yummy and Roberta’s video guidance offers so many little tips to improve flavour and organise the flow of preparation. I enjoy her warmth, sense of humour, and ability to giggle at herself when she occasionally messes up.
Previous
Next

FAQ

What does it mean to truss a chicken?

Trussing a chicken, or any poultry, means to tie it securely with twine so that the wings and legs stay close to the body.

Why truss a chicken?

Trussing makes the bird more compact so that it cooks evenly and helps prevent the wings and ends of the drumsticks from burning. It also gives the cooked chicken a neater, more attractive appearance.

What twine do you use to truss a chicken?

Use kitchen twine (also called butcher’s twine or cooking twine), a strong, unbleached cotton twine. It’s important to use cotton as synthetic twines may melt or burn.

How do you truss a chicken?

Cut about 130cm of kitchen twine. Place the chicken on its back with the wings facing you. Place the twine underneath the chicken’s back then bring the ends forward between the body and wings (‘under the arms’) then around the outside of the wings and away from you to cross it under the tip of the breast, pulling tightly to secure the wings close to the body. Bring the twine over the tips of the drumsticks then cross it under them, pulling them together. Holding the twine tightly, flip the chicken over onto its breast. Twist the twine around the tail and knot it. Cut off and discard the excess twine.

Why is it called chicken in half mourning? Why not full mourning?

Poulet demi-deuil is a classic French dish made by placing shaved black truffles under the skin of a chicken, resembling the veil of a woman in mourning. The appearance is only of ‘half mourning’ because some of the bird’s white flesh is still seen; full mourning would be entirely black.

Subscribe To My Newsletter & Get A Free Online Italian Cooking Class (RRP $39)