Truffle Butter Chicken
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott inspired by the Zuni Cafe chicken method
- 1.4kg/3lbs Chicken
- 4 tablespoons salt
- 4-6 slices of truffle plus more to serve
- 1 cup freshly boiled water
- 1/2 cup cream
Truffle butter
- 100g/3.5ozs. butter, softened
- 10g/0.35ozs. freshly grated truffle
Chestnut and mushroom stuffing
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
- 3/4 cup cooked chestnuts, roughly chopped
- 4 shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 2 slices bread (I used regular supermarket rye bread), chopped into small cubes
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 cup cream
Step 1 - Remove the lump of fat from inside the chicken. Rinse the chicken and then pat all over very well with paper towels. Sit the chicken on a couple of sheets of paper towel. Place your index and middle finger between the skin and meat of the breast and gently pry it apart and place a few truffle shavings in there. Rub salt all over one side and then loosely cover with more paper towels. Place in the fridge 1 day. Then turn the chicken over and do the same for the other side. You want almost a waxy coat and the salt and truffle will absorb into the chicken. Place in the fridge for 1 more day. I also recommend preparing the gratin ahead of time as that way they can cook simultaneously.
Step 2 - Make sure your oven in clean because it will smoke too much otherwise. Have the gratin ready to bake (see recipe below). Then also make the stuffing by sauteing the onion and garlic in a small saucepan in the butter until translucent. Place the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and mix together and then add the onion and garlic once it is cooked. Place in a small baking dish and cover tightly with foil. Bake at 240C/475F for 30 minutes (I cooked everything together in the same oven).
Step 3 - Place a metal baking dish in the middle rack of an oven and preheat to 240C/475F (very hot). Take a piece of parchment and lay it on the tray. Place the chicken breast side down and you should hear it sizzle. Roast for 30 minutes. Meanwhile mix the butter and 10grams of finely grated truffles to make a truffle butter.
Step 4 - When the chicken has had the 30 minutes, turn it over and roast it breast side up for 10 minutes. Then turn it back over and roast it breast side down for another 15 minutes. Brush with the truffle butter. Gently remove it from the tray and place on a serving platter and cover with foil and rest for 10 minutes (make the gravy while it is resting). Serve with freshly shaved truffles and the gravy.
Step 5 - Make the gravy by deglazing the pan on which you roasted the chicken. Add 1 cup of freshly boiled water from the kettle and scrape away all of the tasty caramelised bits (you can let it sit for a minute or two). Then place the liquid in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the cream and then salt and pepper for seasoning. Remove the fat by placing a paper towel on the surface. It will absorb the oil that has floated to the top first. Repeat 2 or 3 times with a new paper towel until all the oil is absorbed. Season with salt and pepper.
Potato and Fennel Gratin
- 250g/8.8ozs. potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced with a mandolin
- 1 medium sized fennel bulb, trimmed and sliced thinly with a mandolin
- 3 shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 1 brown onion, thinly sliced
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 2/3 cup cream*
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 2/3 cup cheese
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 50g/1.7ozs butter cut into cubes
- 10g of freshly grated truffle to serve on top
Step 1 - Mix the potatoes, fennel, onion and garlic together and place in a baking dish. Whisk the cream and chicken stock together and then cover with this mixture. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 240C/475F for 30 minutes (I baked this alongside the chicken because I want to serve them at around the same time).
Step 2 - Remove the foil and once the chicken is out of the oven turn it down to 180C/350F. Sprinkle with cheese and breadcrumbs and cubes of butter and bake for an additional 10 minutes.