Boiled Stuffed Chicken (poule Farcie Paysanne)

Total Time: 2 hrs 25 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 (4 lb) stewing chicken
• fat (for greasing)
• wine (optional)
• 1 chicken gizzard
• 1 chicken heart
• 1 chicken liver
• 1/2 lb cooked ham or 1/2 lb raw ham (e.g.parma)
• 1/2 lb fresh lamb fillet
• 1/4 lb lean veal
• 1/4 lb bacon
• 1 onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 cup parsley
• 1 cup celery leaves
• 1 1/2 cups chard leaves or 1 1/2 cups spinach (or other greens)
• 3 slices crustless bread
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 egg
• 4 -5 cloves garlic
• 2 cloves
• 1 large onion, studded with the cloves
• salt and pepper
• bouquet garni

Recipe

• 1 grind or process the first 16 ingredients fairly coarsely, then measure.
• 2 for each 2 cups, add salt& pepper and egg.
• 3 mix well.
• 4 stuff and sew up the prepared bird.
• 5 put the trimmings (neck and so on) into a very large pan with garlic, onion, salt, pepper and bouquet garni.
• 6 cover generously with cold water and bring to a boil.
• 7 add the bird, (making sure it is covered),bring back to boil and simmer very gently for 1 1/2 hours (less for a younger bird).
• 8 meanwhile, shape the remaining farce into a sausage and roll up neatly in a fine cheesecloth.
• 9 tie the ends securely and cook alongside the bird.
• 10 when the bird is cooked, take it out carefully, draining well.
• 11 put it in a roasting pan with a little fat underneath and some smeared over the breast.
• 12 roast in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until browned to your liking.
• 13 remove.
• 14 pour off fat and deglacer the pan with a little of the stock, to make a gravy, (stir in a little wine to taste, if liked.) to serve, give each diner a portion of the bird and some of the stuffing from the interior, plus a slice of the boiled farce.
• 15 (strained and skimmed of all fat, the cooking liquid makes magnificent stock for future use).