Poulet a La Dauphinoise (Chicken in the Dauphine Style)

Yield > 6
Servings
Keys : Main Dish Poultry Ethnic Nuts Vegetables Chicken French
France European Mediterranean French
Ingredients :
220 gm Shelled walnuts *
2 kg Roasting chicken,jointed
85 gm Butter
3 tbl Walnut oil
110 gm Smoked bacon, cut in strips
1 med Onion, chopped
5 x Shallots, chopped
1 x Garlic clove, finely chopped
500 gm Small ceps
1 x Bouquet garni
Salt & pepper
4 tbl Brandy or marc
120 ml Port
1 x Egg yolk
2 tbl Cream
Method :
• NB
* or 36 nuts in their shells, shelled carefully
• "Walnut orchards are one of the beauties of the Dordogne
and Correze, and of many other parts of southern France such
as the Dauphine. The rough grey-walled enclosures of green
grass, the smooth silver-grey of the trunks, and the yellowing
green of the leaves in autumn have a soothing quietness as
one drives along the country lanes. Mostly the walnuts will be
sold to French and foreign commercial bakers, like Fullers (the
Dauphine includes Grenoble, Montelimar and Gap, which are all
famous for their confectionery), and to housewives, but some
will be turned into a black liqueur, creme de noix, or crushed
for walnut oil. Once this was much used by painters, but I
imagine that the price caused them to turn to cheaper
substitutes long ago.
• Nowadays walnut oil is a luxury for the knowledgeable
cook. Put it at the top of your list of things to bring back from
France; it's expensive there, but in England the price seems to
jump beyond contemplation. I found this recipe in a French
periodical; its combination of walnuts, walnut oil and ceps is
unusual and good." When preparing this dish, it is wise to cope
with the walnuts well in advance. Choose a peaceful moment,
when you can listen to the radio or talk to a friend. Pour boiling
water over the shelled nuts, leave them for a few moments,
then drain them and remove the fine skins. The fresher the
walnuts, the easier this job is - this is really an autumn dish
when ceps are in the woods, and the first walnuts arrive from
France. I won't deny that this is a fiddly job, but it's worth the
trouble because the skins can spoil dishes of this kind with
their bitter flavour. Set aside half a dozen of the nicest pieces
for final decoration, and put the rest in a bowl beside the other
ingredients.
• Brown the chicken in half the butter and all the walnut
oil, in a large frying pan. Remove to a dish and keep warm. Put
the bacon into the pan, and when it colours, remove to the
dish of chicken. Finally cook the onion, shallots and garlic in
the butter and oil. when they are ready, return the chicken and
bacon to the pan. Be careful never to burn the fat, or the
flavour of the juices will be spoilt.
• Meanwhile cook the ceps in the rest of the butter, and
put them into the frying pan with the chicken. Add the walnuts
and the bouquet. Flame with half the brandy or marc, then
pour in the port.
• Cover and simmer about half an hour, or less if the
chicken is cooked sooner.
• Meanwhile beat up the egg yolk with the cream and
remaining brandy.
• When the chicken is cooked, arrange it on a serving dish
with the ceps, bacon and walnuts. Strain the cooking juices
into a pan and thicken with the egg mixture. Cook a moment
or two without boiling and pour over the chicken. Decorate
with the reserved nuts.