Serves4
Ingredients
Dark chicken jus
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4.5kg chicken carcass, from roasting
18 l chicken stock
480g carrots, diced
480g celery, diced
600g onions, diced
lemon juice
twin sister’s olive oil
Chicken
1 organic chicken 2-3 pounds
1 lemon, cut in quarters
1600g kosher salt
20g parsley leaves
10g tarragon
800g egg whites
20g garlic cloves
Extra-virgin olive oil
Maitakes à la Grecque
225g maitake mushrooms
236g white wine
118g water
60g white wine vinegar
1 tsp coriander seed
3 bay leaves
½ tsp black peppercorns
½ tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp thyme leaves
100g lemon juice
70 g twin sister’s olive oil
maldon salt
Grits
50 grams unsalted butter
10 g onions, finely diced
150 g geechy boy “samp” grits
Kosher salt
To serve
Greenhouse salad, for garnish
Preserved lemons, sliced
Method
Dark chicken jus
Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot. Roast the bones on all sides then remove from the pan. Add the carrots, celery and onion and continue to roast on high heat to caramelize the vegetables (about 8 minutes). Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the temperature and simmer the broth for 6 hours. Strain through a chinois and return to the heat. Reduce the liquid by 80% or until it is dark and slightly thick. Strain once more through a chinois and cool in the refrigerator. To serve, heat about 1 cup of the jus in a pot and season with lemon juice and Twin Sister’s olive oil.
Chicken
Prepare the chicken by removing the wing tip portion as well as the offal. Stuff the lemon into the cavity of the chicken and truss tightly so that the skin is taught around the bird. Allow to air dry in the refrigerator for at least 1 day. Place the kosher salt in a food processor and turn the machine on. Add the parsley and tarragon and pulverize with the salt. Slowly add the egg whites to aerate them and stiffen. Remove the salt meringue from the food processor and place into a bowl. Mix thoroughly. Place the chicken on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper. Using small amounts at a time mold the salt crust around the guinea hen ensuring there are no gaps in the crust. Once a smooth surface has been achieved, place into a convection oven set at a temperature of 500°F (260°C). Bake for 35 minutes then remove from the oven. Rest the chicken for 25 minutes then crack the crust and allow to air dry. Remove the breasts and the leg quarters from the carcass and bones, reserving the carcass for making the jus. Pour the olive oil into a cast iron pan and place on high heat. Roast the breast and the leg quarters, skin side down, for about 4-5 minutes. Once crispy and golden brown, remove from the pan and slice the pieces into halves.
Maitakes à la grecque
Break the maitakes from the clusters, into individual pieces. Place the white wine in a sauce pot over high heat. Reduce the liquid by half and then add the water, white wine vinegar, coriander seeds, bay leaves, black peppercorns, fennel seeds and thyme leaves. Remove from the heat and steep warm for 1 hour. Add the olive oil, then season with lemon juice and maldon salt. Cool the liquid to room temperature and place in a shallow container. Add the maitakes and place the entire vessel into the chamber of a vacuum seal machine. Compress twice and store the marinating mushrooms in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
Grits
Place a small pot on medium heat and add 20 grams of the butter. Sweat the onions until they are translucent. Add the grits and continue to sweat until the oil has completely absorbed into the grits. Add the white wine to deglaze. Allow the wine to become absorbed, and then add enough water to cover the grits. Using a wooden spoon, stir the grits until the liquid has been absorbed. Repeat with fresh water until the grits have become soft. Whisk in the butter and season with kosher salt.
To serve
Spoon a small amount of the potato puree in the center of a bowl. Place one slice of the breast, thigh and leg around the potatoes. Arrange a few of the maitakes on and off of the chicken and garnish with the greenhouse salad and preserved lemon slices. Pour a small amount of the sauce lightly over the top of the dish, serve.