In our interview with Chef Simon Bowker of the Fontainebleau Miami Beach, we learned what's it like to work in a high pressure Michelin rated kitchen, and where he gets "naughty" in his down time. Today we present his formula for chicken and stuffing, a long-winded recipe that will redefine your image of what mama makes.
Roasted chicken with a confit thigh perches above a square of smoked corn and pancetta stuffing, with parsnip puree, watercress and a saucy jus. Be fearless, there are many components, but set aside the time - this is a beautiful recipe completely manageable for the home chef. Impress and awe others with your kitchen savoir-faire.
"Chicken & Stuffing" - Roast Organic Chicken, Smoked Corn and Pancetta Stuffing Confit Thigh, Parsnip Puree, Watercress, & Chicken Jus
Serves 6
Chicken Preparation:
Ingredients:
Whole chicken, cut into parts.
Method:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
For the breasts: Debone the breasts. Season with salt and pepper, and place skin side down in a heated sauté pan with a splash of vegetable oil. Cook in a 325 degree oven for approximately 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and add a small amount of butter to the pan. Turn the breast onto its base, and finish the breast in the foaming butter.
For the chicken thigh confit:
Reduce oven temperature to 200 degrees.
Take the chicken legs and remove the drumstick, take the thigh and salt heavily using rock salt for 12 hours ideally. Once the thigh is salted, remove from salt and rinse thoroughly under running cold water to remove excess salt. (New Times tip: pat dry with paper toweling before proceeding to the next step, you don't want any moisture in your fat for the confit). Heat up enough duck fat to cover the chicken in a roasting pan, add the chicken legs, cover with foil and place in a low heat oven at 200 degrees. Slow roast (confit) for 2 to 3 hours. Once cooked, remove from the oil. Pull out the thighbone and remove any cartilage or gristle. Whilst still warm, shape the thigh with your hand and wrap firmly in plastic wrap. Place in fridge to cool. Once cold and set firm, remove from plastic and trim to shape. To heat up again, add butter to a hot sauté pan and when foaming, sear until golden brown on both sides.
Smoked Corn and Pancetta Stuffing
Ingredients:
3oz Shallot finely diced
3oz Pancetta finely diced (caramelized)
2oz Smoked Corn (3 times smoked)
6oz Dried bread crumbs (Sourdough/Brioche mix)
0.5oz Sage chiffonade
1oz Parsley chopped
3oz Butter
6oz Chicken Stock
1oz Balsamic Vinegar (Dark)
0.5oz Sherry Vinegar
Method:
1. Blanch whole Corn in boiling salted water for 11 minutes.
2. Heat wood chips up in roasting pan. Place whole corn on a roasting rack, resting over the pan. Once wood chip begins to smoke, cover the corn and wood chip pan with foil. Take outside until the smoke subsides. Repeat process 3 times over.
3. Remove smoked corn kernels from the husk using a cooks knife.
4. Caramelize the pancetta in a hot pan by rendering the fat first and getting a gentle sear, add butter, when foaming and nutty add shallot and cook until soft.
5. Add the bread crumbs and cook out until crumb is toasted.
6. Add the smoked corn.
7. Add vinegar and stock, adjust seasoning levels.
8. Allow mix to cool and fold in the herbs.
9. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
10. Roll stuffing between 2 sheets of parchment paper.
11. Place in freezer over night.
12. Cut stuffing into individual portions.
Chicken Jus
Ingredients:
2.1lb Chicken wings (chopped small)
10 oz Sliced shallot 1.25lb
Chopped tomato
1.25lb Lamb Demi Glace
3.5lb Chicken stock
10 oz Cabernet Sauvignon vinegar
10oz White wine vinegar
1oz Tarragon
1oz Chervil
Method
1. Reduce the demi glace and stock together to one third.
2. In a separate oven-safe pan, roast the bones hard in oil (New Times tip: you want the wings to get nice and brown, use a thin layer of oil and roast in the oven at 450 degrees for a more severe sear).
3. Remove the bones and set aside, add the shallot and butter and cook until golden.
4. Strain off the butter and return the wings to the pan, deglaze with the tomato and vinegar.
5. Ensure the bottom of the pan is clean. Add the reduced stock and simmer until slightly thickened.
6. Remove from the heat and infuse with the aromatics (herbs) for 5 minutes.
7. Pass through a chinois and then cheese cloth.
Parsnip Puree
Ingredients:
8 oz Parsnip (peeled and rough chopped similar size)
1 oz Butter
Sherry Vinegar
Salt
Method:
1. Place Parsnips in a pan with cold salted water, bring to the boil with the butter. Boil for approximately 25 minutes.
2. Once completely soft, strain through a colander and puree in blender.
3. Pass puree through a chinois.
4. Season with salt and a splash of Sherry Vinegar.
Pickled Trompette Noir Mushrooms
Ingredients
Trompette Noir Mushroom (New Times tip: that's French for black chanterelles, which will be tricky to find; you can substitute regular chanterelles, or buy the dried version and rehydrate in cold water)
Pickling Liquid (2 parts White Vinegar/ 1 Part White Sugar- dissolve sugar in vinegar)
Method
1. Peel Trompette into thin strips.
2. Hard scorch the mushrooms in a hot sauté pan with a little oil.
3. Season with salt to taste.
4. Deglaze with pickling liquid.
5. Leave in pickling liquid for 24hrs.
Garnish Instructions
Ingredients
Baby carrots
Watercress
Butter
Salt
1. Blanch baby carrots quickly in boiling water. Roast in hot pan with butter.
2. Wilt watercess in a sauté pan with butter, season with salt to taste.
3. Garnish Plate with watercress.
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