Poulet Rôti à la Normande (Normandy Roasted Chicken)

3 lb. roasting chicken
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. butter

Herb and Giblet Stuffing:
1 chicken gizzard, peeled and minced
1 tbsp. butter
1/8 tsp. oil
1 chicken heart, chopped
1 to 4 chicken livers, chopped
1 tbsp. minced shallots or green onions
2/3 cup coarse breadcrumbs
4 tbsp. cream cheese
2 tbsp. softened butter
3 tbsp. minced parsely
1/8 tsp. tarragon or thyme
1/8 tsp. salt
1 pinch pepper

Roasting:
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 tsp. salt

Sauce:
3 tbsp. strong brown chicken stock or 3 tbsp. canned beef bouillon
3 to 4 tbsp. whipping cream
Salt and pepper
Lemon juice, to taste

Directions:

First, prepare the stuffing. Saute the gizzard in hot butter and oil for 2 minutes. Then stir in the heart, liver and shallots or onions. Saute for 2 minutes more, or until the liver has stiffened but is still rosy inside. Scrape into a mixing bowl.

Blend in the rest of the ingredients and taste carefully for seasoning. Let stuffing cool.

Sprinkly salt inside the chicken, and loosely fill with the stuffing. Sew or skewer the vent. Truss and dry the chicken, and rub its skin with butter.

Roast the chicken in a preheated 350°F oven for 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes. After roasting 1 hour, remove all but 1 spoonful of fat from the pan. Baste chicken with 2 to 3 tbsp. whipping cream every 3 to 4 minutes until the chicken is done. The cream will probably look curdled in the pan, but this will be corrected later.

Remove the chicken to a hot platter and sprinkle with salt.

Add the stock or bouillon to the cream in the roasting pan and boil rapidly for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping up coagulated chicken roasting juices.

Just before serving, remove from heat and stir in additional cream by spoonfuls to smooth out the sauce. Correct seasoning, and add drops of lemon juice to taste.

Spoon a bit of sauce over the chicken and send the rest to the table in a warmed sauceboat.

Comments from vanessag :

A classic from Julia Child.

User Reviews:

Thanks for posting this recipe, Vanessa. The chicken was out of this world. I have never made a stuffing from scratch like that, and I didn't think I would be able to eat it, considering it was made of hearts, livers and gizzards! But it may have been the best part of the meal! Overall it was an easy dish to prepare and I'll do it again soon.

submitted by mario on December 05, 2004

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