Antoine Westermann's poach and roast chicken

[David Chang]

I've always made chicken either roasted or fried. Sometimes dry brined, sometimes wet brined, most of the time just simply seasoning the skin. But the method that Westermann prefers is first slow poached in chicken stock, then roasted and served with chicken jus. 

Now he uses a lot of old heritage breeds that I have no access to (Brune Landais, Plymouth Rock, ...) 3-6+months old. 

What I can get in Hong Kong is live Chinese chicken that is terrible for this kind of roasting (too bony and lean). I can get chilled french yellow chicken (unknown breed) at the gourmet shop which is like $50 USD, but I settled for a cheaper 1.5kg NZ chilled pasture raised chicken thats ageing in fridge at the moment. 

Methodology from what I gather is..

Poach the chicken in chicken stock at 175f for up to 1.5-2 hours or until meat equalizes to the stock temp. Roast at 450f in oven or rotisserie. Serve with salad and chicken jus.

So I'm looking forward to making this later this week. I recall having this kind of chicken in Paris. I was too young to get into cooking back then,  but I remember it tasted amazing, and It looked exactly like the ones being served in the video. I'm hoping to get the same results. 

 

[Tyrus]

j'adore le poulet

[Syzygies]

I can get really good artisanal chickens at The Local Butcher Shop in Berkeley. Our favorite preparation is the signature Zuni Cafe Chicken, which would be amendable to this modified technique.

Harder in to find great birds in New York City.

I've been twice to Yakitori Kono, and that's the best chicken I've ever had. He spent six months searching before contracting with a Pennsylvania farmer; here's a video of his operation:

How Chef Atsushi Kono Makes Chicken Skewers From Wings to Testicles — Smoke Point

Westermann clearly has a few gallons of stock simmering when he needs it. I sometimes do, but this is an ideal application of sous vide: Thaw one freezer packet of stock, and vacuum pack it with the bird, then cook in a water bath as indicated. The stock gets better, same effect on the bird as a bath in a huge stock pot.

[tekobo]

Chicken in chicken stock in sous vide.  Game changer, thanks @Syzygies.  Was intrigued by this method but didn’t want to lose gorgeous juices into a stock pot.  This way the enriched stock will make an even better sauce. Thanks for the intro to this cooking choice @David Chang, definitely going to try it. @Braai-Q has access to some great local chicken. Trouble is, it’s local to him and about three hours’ drive from my house.  Will have to wangle a visit soon. 

[PVPAUL]

Would this cooking technique “slow poached in chicken stock”  work well with the Vermicular Musui? I’m guessing yes……just got mine on Thursday but am out of town so another week or so until can open up and start having fun! 

 

[MacKenzie]

Paul, if you try it I hope you will post the results.  Vermicular has a good recipe for cooking a whole chicken and some veggies but they start off with a few tablespoons of oil in the casserole. Cook that with the cover on then remove cove and cook in a hot oven 460F 

[David Chang]

it’s really good..😓

[MacKenzie]

David, it certainly looks goooooooooood. 

[Syzygies]

On 1/29/2023 at 9:46 AM, PVPAUL said:

Would this cooking technique “slow poached in chicken stock”  work well with the Vermicular Musui?

Yes. Takes more stock than a vacuum pouch, but the stock gets better...

It recently dawned on me that the Vermicular Musui Kamado ("indoor K") is ideal for making Japanese dashi stock. One wants to bring kombu seaweed to a near simmer without boiling it, remove, then give the bonito flakes a controlled simmer in the same liquid. The Musui makes this easy.

[Braai-Q]

On 1/29/2023 at 12:37 PM, tekobo said:

Chicken in chicken stock in sous vide.  Game changer, thanks @Syzygies.  Was intrigued by this method but didn’t want to lose gorgeous juices into a stock pot.  This way the enriched stock will make an even better sauce. Thanks for the intro to this cooking choice @David Chang, definitely going to try it. @Braai-Q has access to some great local chicken. Trouble is, it’s local to him and about three hours’ drive from my house.  Will have to wangle a visit soon. 

I owe you a care package @tekobo and I have not forgotten. Bird flu has been really bad in East Anglia this year and the birds have been kept 'free range' in large barns so I'm not sure if this has had a detrimental effect on taste. And by local, yes, within 300 yards of my house. 

Think I'm going to have to investigate this technique. I'll report back!

[jonj]

In a weird and negative twist on "eating local", the chickens in @David Chang's video are from the farm of Frank Reese (Good Shepard Poultry Ranch, Lindsborg, Kansas), which is about a 3 hour drive from me. However, to obtain one of his chickens for dinner, I would have to order it from New York, NY. 

Here is a Facebook link to a Kansas Public Broadcasting show about his farm:  https://fb.watch/irFFlO-XzD/  and a link to his Good Shepard Conservancy:  https://goodshepherdconservancy.org/about/  (the section on Meet The Birds showcases the scope of his project).

[Since this is mostly about one farmer in a rural area outside one small town in the middle of Kansas in the middle of the United States, it may be of little interest to others. However, David kind of started it with his chicken video and now that I'm down in this rabbit (chicken?) hole, I thought I should invite the rest of you in with me.]

[David Chang]

@jonj they sell to wholesale distributors only? seems odd you have to order it from another state the chickens raised in your own state..

 

 

[jonj]

I suspect he sells to restaurants and distributors only given his status in the heritage farming and restaurant circles..