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From @French Cooking Academy

Escoffier Chicken Otero (Hunter's Chicken with Port Wine)

1 hr · Serves 4

1 hrtotal
25 minhands on
29steps
4servings

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Ingredients

For the tomato chicken stock

  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • Chicken bones, wings and trimmings from breaking down the whole chicken
  • 1 small carrot, diced
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1/2 celery stick, finely diced
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 500 ml beef or veal stock (2 cups)
  • 1 sprig fresh thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • Ground black pepper

For the chicken

  • 1 whole chicken, broken down into
  • 2 whole legs and
  • 2 breasts with backbones attached
  • 30 g unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • Salt and black pepper

For the sauce

  • 250 g button mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 small shallot, finely diced
  • 100 ml red Port wine
  • 10 g unsalted butter, softened (for beurre manié)
  • 10 g plain flour (for beurre manié)
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh tarragon
  • 20 g unsalted butter, cold

Method

For the tomato chicken stock

  1. Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a small stockpot over medium-high heat.

  2. Add the chopped chicken carcass, wings and bones.

  3. Sear the chicken bones until browned, 10–15 minutes.

  4. Add the carrot, onion and celery to the pot.

  5. Cook the vegetables for 2–3 minutes, until softened.

  6. Add the tomato paste and stir for 30 seconds to cook off its acidity.

  7. Pour in a splash of the beef stock to deglaze the bottom of the pot.

  8. Add the rest of the beef stock along with the thyme, bay leaves, garlic and black pepper.

  9. Bring to a simmer, then lower the heat and leave to reduce by half.

    Then 15 min of waiting

For the chicken

  1. Preheat your oven to 360°F (180°C).

  2. Heat 30 g unsalted butter and 1 tbsp vegetable oil in an ovenproof pan over medium heat.

  3. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, then place them skin-side down into the melted butter and oil.

  4. Sear the chicken pieces until the skin turns golden brown, 5–7 minutes.

  5. Turn the chicken pieces over to brown the other side for 2–3 minutes.

  6. Cover the pan with a lid and place it in the oven.

  7. Remove the breasts after 15 minutes, cover with foil to keep warm, then return the pan with the legs to the oven uncovered for another 5–10 minutes at 400°F (200°C) until cooked through.

    Then 20 min of waiting

For the sauce

  1. Mash 10 g of softened butter with 10 g of flour in a small bowl to form a beurre manié ball.

  2. Strain the reduced tomato stock into a bowl, then pour it back into a saucepan.

  3. Bring the strained stock to a light boil, whisk in the beurre manié to thicken, and cook for 30–60 seconds.

    Make sure the sauce comes to a boil after whisking in beurre manié, otherwise the flour will not thicken properly.

  4. Remove the cooked chicken legs from the pan and keep them warm with the breasts.

  5. Place the chicken pan over high heat, add the sliced mushrooms, and season with salt and pepper.

  6. Saute the mushrooms in the left-over chicken fats for 2 minutes.

  7. Add the diced shallot and cook for another minute until softened.

  8. Pour in 100 ml of red Port wine to deglaze the pan.

  9. Scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan and let the Port reduce for 1–2 minutes.

  10. Pour the thickened tomato stock into the mushroom and Port pan.

  11. Stir in the chopped fresh tarragon.

  12. Turn off the heat and stir in 20 g of cold butter to gloss the sauce.

  13. Arrange the chicken pieces on a serving platter and pour the sauce over top.

  14. "Chicken Otero" is Escoffier's variation on Chicken Chasseur, replacing the traditional white wine with rich red Port wine.

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