JACQUES PEPIN CHICKEN RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Sprinkle the chicken inside and out with the salt and pepper and fold the wings akimbo to position them closer to the body. Place the chicken on its side in an oven-safe skillet, preferably cast-iron.
• Place the chicken in the skillet in the oven and cook for 20 minutes, then turn the chicken over and cook another 20 minutes. (By cooking the chicken on its sides, the juices stay in the breast and, since only the back is exposed, the chicken does not need constant basting.) Finally, turn the chicken onto its back, baste it with the cooking juices and continue to cook 10 minutes. It should be golden in color.
• When the chicken is cooked, cut it into pieces and serve, with the drippings on the side.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F
• For the Stuffing: heat the oil in a large saucepan or skillet
• Add the garlic, spinach, salt, and pepper, and cook for 1 minute to soften the garlic and wilt the spinach
• Transfer to a bowl and let cool to room temperature
• Reserve the cheese and bread and continue with the recipe
• Lay the chicken skin-side down on the work surface and sprinkle with the salt and pepper
• Spread the cool rice or spinach mixture evenly over the chicken
• If using the spinach stuffing, sprinkle the cheese and bread cubes on top of the spinach
• Roll the chicken up, tie with kitchen twine, and place in roasting pan
• Roast the ballottine for 1 hour
• Lift it from the pan and place it on a platter
• For the Sauce: Skim off and discard most of the fat from the drippings in the pan
• Add the water and wine to the drippings to deglaze the pan and heat over medium heat, stirring to loosen and melt the solidified juices
• Strain the juices into a saucepan
• Add the celery, onion, and carrot and bring to a boil over high heat
• Cover, reduce the heat to low, and boil gently for 5 minutes
• Stir in the dissolved potato starch and soy sauce and bring the mixture back to a boil, stirring, to thicken it
• Remove from the heat
• Transfer the ballottine to a cutting board and remove the twine
• Cut half of it into 4 or 5 slices, each about 1 inch thick
• Return the uncut half of the ballottine to the serving platter and arrange the cut slices in front of it
• Pour the sauce over and around the ballottine, garnish with the parsley, and serve
• Cut additional slices of ballottine as needed at the table