The Perfect Chicken & Corn Dish!

We’re going to make a delicious chicken & corn dish! We’re going to stuff some corn with a chicken farce and then torch it. We’ll serve that with a corn cream, a crème de volaille & corn husk oil sauce, golden brown polenta and off course some beautiful roasted chicken.

How to clean the chicken

I use a cornfed chicken that weighs around 1 kilogram. Make a thin incision in the skin on both the legs and break the joints. After that cut the legs off. Then make an incision at the end of the breasts and twist the bottom to break the bones. Now cut if off. As a final step cut the wings off. Keep the cleaned chicken covered in your fridge for later. Then take the legs and make a cut to open up the bones. Scrape the meat off the bones and then cut them off. Keep all the trimmings for the sauce. Now also remove the skin and any leftover pieces of fat or bones. Then keep the meat in your fridge. Later we will use it to make the farce.

The creme de volaille & corn sauce

​2 kg	chicken bones and trimmings
300 grams	onion
200 grams	shallots
250 grams	mushrooms
300 grams	white wine
500 grams	cream
1 bulb	garlic
3 sprigs	thyme
1	corn
	salt & white wine vinegar

First chop the bones and trimmings in smaller more workable pieces. Now add a drizzle of oil to a hot frying pan and pan fry the chicken trimmings till golden brown on all sides. Meanwhile cut the onion in half and clean them. Now chop them. Once that’s done you can do the same with the shallots. If you’re not able to find shallot, use a total of 600 grams of onion. Now once the chicken is golden transfer it into a big pot and continue pan frying the remaining trimmings till all is golden and delicious! You’ll probably end up with a lot of leftover chicken fat. Don’t throw this away, it’s great to use to confit or pan frying. Now transfer the sliced onion and shallots into the frying pan and pan fry on a medium heat till a light golden color starts to form. Then add it to the chicken bones. After that pan fry the mushrooms. I still had some leftover chantarelles, but a plain button mushroom is also very delicious! Once golden add those as well to the big pot and then deglaze the frying pan with the white wine. Let this simmer for a minute and then pour it into the big pot together with the cream and enough water to submerge all the ingredients. Now also add the bulb of garlic that’s cut in half and the sprigs of thyme. Bring this to a simmer and then continue heating on the lowest heat for 8 hours. After that pass the sauce through a fine sieve and let it drain for at least 30 minutes, so you don’t waste a single drop! Once that’s done use a small ladle to remove any fat that’s floating on top. Then cut all the kernels off the corn and add it to the sauce. Bring this to a boil for 5 minutes before blending it till smooth. This takes around 2 to 3 minutes. After that pass the sauce through a fine sauce sieve and use the back of a spatula to tap the sieve. This makes the whole process a lot easier. Now if needed reduce the sauce and then season it with some salt and when necessary, a drizzle of the white wine vinegar. You need to add the vinegar when the sauce is to fat. The vinegar will balance this.

The farce stuffed corn

4	corns
250 grams	chicken trimmings
60 grams	whole eggs
40 grams	butter
6 grams	salt
80 grams	cream

First remove the husk from the corns and keep the husk to make the oil. Then season a pot of boiling water with a generous amount of salt and blanch the corn for around 4 to 5 minutes till cooked. Once cooked take them out of the water and let them cool down in your fridge or in some ice water as soon as possible. Then for the farce: Mix the chicken trimmings with the whole egg, the butter and the salt. Blend this till smooth, but be sure that the chicken doesn’t heat up too much from the friction. Once smooth while mixing add the cream and when it’s incorporated directly stop blending to prevent the farce from splitting. Then transfer it on a fine flat sieve and use a dough scraper or spatula to press it through the sieve. By doing this you’ll create a super elegant and refined farce or mousse. Keep it out of the fridge for later. Then take 2 of the blanched corn and use a super sharp and thin knife to cut around the center of the corn. Be very gentle so the corn stays in one piece. Keep the remaining corn for the cream. Now fill the cut corn all the way with the farce and then bake it at 130 degrees Celsius for around 18 minutes till the farce is cooked. Once cooked take it out of the oven and let it cool down completely. Then again use a super sharp knife to gently portion the corn into the desired size and place them on a metal tray. Now torch the side with a blow torch. Then keep them in your fridge for later.

The corn husk and lovage oil

	The husk from 4 corns
320 grams	neutral oil (I use sunflower oil)
30 grams	lovage leaves

First take the husks from the corns and toast them slightly with a blowtorch. This will create a really nice smoky or barbeque flavor. Now place the husks in a vacuum bag and also add the neutral oil. I use sunflower oil. Vacuum this 100%. After that steam it at 85 degrees Celsius for 50 minutes. You can also use a sous-vide for this. Then let the husks drain on a fine sauce sieve and use a ladle to press out any oil so you don’t waste a single drop. Now transfer the lovage leaves into a blender and also add 300 grams of the husk oil. Blend this till the temperature of the oil is 65 degrees Celsius. It will heat up from the friction. Then let it drain on a sieve that’s lined with a kitchen paper to clarify it. Do this in your fridge so the oil doesn’t turn brown.

The polenta

650 grams	chicken stock
100 grams	butter
5 grams	salt
130 grams	polenta
60 grams	parmesan cheese

Pour the chicken stock into a saucepan and also add the butter and the salt. Bring this to a boil. Then add the polenta and while stirring let it boil for 2 minutes. Now cover it with a lid and let it cook in an oven that’s 160 degrees Celsius for 45 minutes. Meanwhile grate the parmesan cheese on a fine grater or microplane. Once the polenta is cooked remove the lid and add the parmesan cheese. Be careful because the handle of the pan is still very hot! Now mix it well and then pour it on a tray that’s lined with a silicon sheet or parchment paper. Spread it and then let it set in your fridge. After that cut it with a small round cutter and keep it in your fridge for later.

The corn cream

2	shallots
3 grams	salt
300 grams	blanched corn kernels
100 grams	vegetable broth
150 grams	cream
2 sprigs	lovage
	white wine vinegar

First cut the shallots in half and clean them, now chop them. Then add a drizzle of oil to a hot pan and glaze the shallots on a medium heat. Also add the salt. Once the shallots have softened add the blanched corn kernels with the vegetable broth, the cream and the lovage. Let the liquid reduce on a medium heat till almost everything has evaporated. Then remove the sprigs of lovage and transfer everything into a blender. Blend this till smooth. This takes at least 5 minutes. Now also add a drizzle of the white wine vinegar to give the cream some freshness. Normally I always add a binder to a cream to prevent it from splitting, but corn has so much starch that it binds on it’s own. After that pass it through a fine sieve and use a ladle to make it a bit easier. Then transfer it into a piping bottle. Now I use the cream to fill this beautiful new mold from Mold Brothers. Click here for more info. Once the top is leveled let it set in your freezer.

Final prep

Blanch a couple pieces of chives and lay them next to each other. Lay some corn shoots on top and also some small winter purslane. Use the blanched chive to bind this together and then trim the bottom with a small knife. Keep them in your fridge for later.

How to finish the dish

First add a drizzle of oil to a hot frying pan and pan fry the polenta on both sides till golden brown. Once golden place them on a metal tray.

Now add a drizzle of oil to a hot frying pan and season the chicken all around with salt. Then pan fry it on all sides till golden brown. Once it’s nice and golden add a big knot of butter and some thyme and base the chicken breasts for around 2 to 3 minutes. This will create a lovely color, flavor and a crispy skin. Now place the chicken on a oven rack and pour the hot butter on top. Cook it for an additional 15 minutes at 110 degrees Celsius and then let it rest for at least 20 minutes at 50 degrees Celsius.

Then remove the corn cream from the mold and place it on the center of a plate. Cover it with some foil and heat it up at 50 degrees Celsius while the chicken is resting. Right before the chicken is done resting heat up the polenta and corn at 110 degrees Celsius for 5 to 6 minutes. Then also add a drizzle of the green husk oil to the hot sauce and gently mix it.

Now once the chicken is well rested place it on a cutting board and gently cut the breasts of the bone. Then portion it to the desired size. I serve 4 to 6 people from one chicken depending on the amount of courses. Now lay the corn on the side of the cream and place the polenta next to it. Pipe a dot of the cream on top and then lay the chicken in the middle. Add the beautiful bundle and then finish the dish with the delicious hot chicken & corn sauce!