Chicken Breast In Jellied Sauce

Course:

Appetizer

Practical information

Prep time

1 h
Cooking

15 min
Difficulty

Pause

12 h 30
Ready in

13 h 45
Price

Recipe
Comments (0)

Recipe's Ingredients

fine salt
1 leaf gelatin
½ extra large egg yolk
1 teaspoon lemon juice
12 to 18 leaves fresh tarragon

1 teaspoon toasted pine nuts
800 g chicken breast, intact with skin and bones
140 g glace
100 g heavy cream

Recipe preparation steps
1

Preheat oven to 420ºF.
2

Skin the chicken breast. Carefully remove the large fillets from the breast. Remove the tenderloins from the fillets and reserve for other purposes. Trim the narrow ends of the fillets so their shape is similar at both ends. Trim any ragged protrusions from the edges of the fillets. The smoother the edges of the fillets, the smoother the final coating will be.
3

Season both sides of the fillets with fine salt. Place the fillets, skin side up, on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Roast the fillets for 4 minutes. Flip the fillets over and continue to roast them until their internal temperatures reach 125ºF , about 4 minutes more. Cover the fillets with another baking sheet and set aside to rest until the meat cools. When the meat is cool, transfer it to a plate, cover the plate with plastic wrap, and refrigerate very well, such as overnight.
4

Place the gelatin in a glass of cold water to soften. Place the glace in a small saucepan over low heat and melt it. When the glace is fully melted, drain the gelatin and add it to the glace. Remove the glace from the heat and stir until the gelatin is dissolved. Dilute the egg yolk with a tablespoon or two of cream and stir it into the glace along with the remainder of the cream. Stir in the lemon juice and season with a little fine salt. Transfer the sauce to a metal container that will fit easily into a water bath.
5

Prepare two water baths, one with very hot tap water and one with ice water. Remove the cooked chicken fillets from the refrigerator and pat with absorbent paper any moisture clinging to them. Arrange the fillets, skin side up, on a cooling rack placed over a plastic wrap lined baking sheet.
6

Place the sauce container in the ice-water bath and chill, stirring continuously, until the sauce begins to thicken, which happens when its temperature lowers to about 68ºF . If the sauce thickens too much, it will start to get lumpy. If this occurs, place the sauce container in the hot-water bath and continue to stir until the sauce is smooth again. It will only be a few degrees warmer but much thinner. Move the sauce container back to the ice-water bath and chill again only until it starts to thicken.
7

Starting with the thick end of each fillet, carefully and slowly pour the sauce over the fillets until evenly coated. Because the fillets are cold, the sauce should start to solidify almost as soon as it contacts their surface. When the fillets are evenly coated, place the baking sheet in the refrigerator until the coating is fully jelled, which should take only a few minutes. Leave the extra sauce out at room temperature for use as "glue" in decorating.
8

Decorate the breasts with tarragon leaves and pine nuts. The leaves can either be used raw or they can be briefly blanched and patted dry. Arrange the tarragon leaves on the surface of the breasts. Put a few drops of sauce on the breasts where the pine nuts will be placed. Carefully place the pine nuts into the sauce to "glue" them in place. Place the baking sheet back in the refrigerator to solidify the attachment of the nuts.
9

Before serving the breasts, bring them to room temperature in order for the meat to soften slightly. Arrange the breasts on individual, chilled serving plates along with appropriate garnishes, such as salad greens or blanched green vegetables.
Ready !