Chicken in Half Mourning

Name: Chicken in Half Mourning
Yield: 4
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 30g black truffle; 1 tablespoon Cognac; 1 x 1.7kg chicken; 75g 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; 1/4 cup crème fraîche; Steamed rice, for serving

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 chicken in half mourning with 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

Finely slice the truffle, add it to the Cognac and set aside for 10 minutes or so.
Meanwhile, wipe out the belly cavity of the chicken to remove any blood and pat the skin dry with paper towel.
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.
Finely slice half the butter, reserving the rest for later.
Drain the truffle, leaving any small bits of truffle in the liquid and set it aside.
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.
Place the final 2 pieces of truffle under the skin of each thigh with a sliver of butter.
Truss the chicken (details and video here) and place on a large plate, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
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.
Preheat oven to 200°C.
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.
Sprinkle chicken generously with salt and pepper.
Combine reserved butter with garlic and rub it all over the chicken.
Place chicken on the rack, breast side up. Cover chicken with baking paper, tucking any overhanging inside the dish.
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.
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.
Remove from the oven, transfer chicken to a lipped plate, cover loosely with foil and set aside in a warm place.
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.
Remove bay leaves and thyme stems, stir in crème fraîche and transfer to a sauce jug.
Carve chicken and serve with steamed rice and sauce on the side.

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Truffle Foraging Weekend

What Other Food & Wine Lovers Say

Had so much fun at the truffle forage weekend. Loved meeting truffle farmers Lisa and Carmine, and Frank was such a beautiful hard working truffle puppy. Everyone seemed to get into it, with soil sniffing and digging like kids in the dirt for our buried treasure. The final lunch was a beautiful way to end the weekend. Food was amazing and plentiful. The dining room was a great shape and size to relax and share our thoughts on the adventure we'd had.

The truffle forage was an unforgettable weekend. It’s obvious the winemaker, restaurants and the truffle farm pulled out all stops for Roberta’s tours. The meals were feasts, winemaker tapped barrels for us, and we dug for and found plenty of truffles at the truffle farm. The other travellers were great company.

I went on Roberta's truffle weekend. She was amazing – great communication skills, friendly and knowledgeable. The truffle forage hosts were lovely with a wealth of knowledge and experience. The truffle dog was gorgeous, we found lots of yummy truffles and were given a generous discount on purchases at the end plus a gift of some truffle salt. Meals were amazing, lots of truffle at dinner and so many delicious dishes at lunch. We were well looked after. This was a well thought out and planned weekend and I would definitely do it again.

The recent Be Inspired truffle foraging weekend was a superb experience in a friendly environment. We met welcoming, informative and knowledgeable producers and enjoyed memorable meals with other food and wine lovers. Beautifully organised. Roberta's expertise in bringing together producers, winemakers and chefs provides a delightful experience for anyone who enjoys food and wine.

Our small group was expertly guided through some of the best places in the Hunter Valley by super host, Roberta. Thank you Roberta for such a great weekend of food and wine and the enthusiasm and knowledge you brought to our group. I had a beaut time learning lots of new things in great company and can't wait for the next experience.

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.