INGREDIENTS:
whole chicken (I used a "young chicken", pre-gutted).
handful baby carrots, chopped
1 leek, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
ground pepper
coriander (I used dried)
fresh thyme sprigs
bay leaves
olive oil
butter
(optional):
1 turnip, sliced
port wine
butter
5 spice
mashed potatoes
morel sauce:
3 shallots, chopped into chunks
1.5 oz (or more) dried morels (morels were balls expensive, so I used: 1/2oz dried morels, 1/2oz dried chanterelles, 1/2oz dried portabellas)
salt
fresh thyme
1 clove garlic
white wine (I used bottom shelf champagne)
some chicken stock (use from the stock you cook the ckn in)
1c cream (fresh unpasteurized cream is best. I couldnt obtain it that day so I used cream from the store).
fresh parsley, chopped
DIRECTIONS:
Cut the legs and wings off the chicken. (I cooked them too, just because).
Stuff some garlic cloves in the carcass.
Fill a large pot with water & bring to a boil. Add in some ckn stock flavoring.
Place the chicken carcass & wings/legs into the water.
Add in the carrots, leeks, celery, thyme, bay leaves, pepper, coriander.
Poach for ~12 min, then remove the chicken.
While that's happening make the morel sauce:
Heat up a sauce pan & add in some olive oil.
Add in the dried mushrooms, shallots, thyme, garlic, and some salt.
Add in white wine (around 1 cup), then reduce,
Add in some stock from the pot the chicken is cooking in (around 1 cup).
Add in the cream.
Continue cooking until the sauce turns a light cafe mocha color.
Pour the mixture through a strainer, and reserve the liquid. Add parsley into the sauce.
Dispose of the mushrooms & crap.
Back to the chicken:
Cut breasts off the chicken.
Season the chicken breasts/legs/wings with desired seasoning (I used garlic& herb, but just salt/pepper works).
Heat up a skillet & add in olive oil.
Press chicken pieces in, skin side down.
Add in some butter.
Baste & cook all sides of the chicken till it's a nice golden color.
Serve with morel sauce poured over it.
(optional) Side dish, caramelized turnips:
Cut up a turnip.
Heat up a skillet & add in some olive oil. Add in turnips & cook.
Drain out liquid & add in some port wine & butter.
Mix in some five spice. Reduce.
(optional)Side dish: mashed potatoes.
This is something I always cheat on, I used instant potatoes (chipotle flavor), and when they were done & mixed in some shredded cheddar.
note: Turnips were meh. Next time I'm going to use onions instead of turnips.
Also I saved the leftover carcass & the pot of stock w vegetables etc and we made chicken noddle soup the next day.
more photos:
