PREPARATION AND ROASTING
1. Carefully peel the truffle and use a slicer to make 12 even slices. Set them aside. Use a fork to crush the rest of the truffle and mix it with the chopped jowls. Season the mixture with salt and pepper and set it aside.
2. Place the boneless poularde pieces on a clean surface, skin-side down, and lightly salt and pepper them. Slide 3 slices of truffle underneath the skin of each piece. Evenly spread the truffle and chopped jowl mixture inside each piece, setting the skin back in its place as you finish. Mould them so that they take on an elongated shape, like a miniature rump, making certain that the stuffing remains inside. Use kitchen twine to tie or truss each piece.
3. Lightly season the surface of the poularde rumps. Drizzle a bit of oil into an oven-safe cooking pot big enough to fit the poularde rumps and heat it over the stove. Sear the 4 rumps until they are golden brown on the outside (roughly 5 minutes).
4. Baste the rumps with the brandy and sweet sherry and add a glass of mineral water to the pot. Preheat your oven to 170°C. Put the pot in the oven when it is ready and let the rumps bake for 16 minutes. Remove the rumps and place them on a clean tray. Make sure to keep the resulting gravy. Let the poularde rest for 10 minutes before removing the twine.
FINISHING TOUCHES AND PLATING
- Use a very fine strainer to strain the gravy and remove all the fat from the roast. In a saucepan, mix the gravy with the milk cream and grated truffle. Let the sauce simmer for 2 minutes, add salt and pepper to taste and set it aside.
- To finish, put the poularde rumps (now without the twine) back in the oven, still at 170°C, for 3 minutes. They can be presented whole or in slices and should be served with the hot creamy truffle sauce. Optional: Steam some baby carrots to add the perfect garnish to this dish.
SERVES 4
1 poularde, weighing approx. 2.5-3 kg***
200 g Duroc pork jowls, chopped
100 g black truffle, fresh and ripe
100 ml brandy
100 ml sweet sherry
1 cup mineral water
extra virgin olive oil
salt and black pepper
To finish off the sauce:
150 ml milk cream
50 g black truffle, peeled and coarsely grated
SPECIAL INFO
***Ask your local butcher or poulterer to cut the poularde into quarters and remove the bone. The idea is to have four thick pieces with the skin on so that they can be stuffed. (Store the cleaned poularde bones, neck and legs in the freezer. These are exceptional products that can be used to make a delicious bird and vegetable broth at a later date.)
