Poulet à la Juive
This Jewish-style stewed chicken comes from Gastronomie Pratique, a cookbook published in 1907 by Ali-Bab. Born Henri Babinski to Polish Christian immigrants to France, he was by profession a mining engineer, but he loved to cook and travel. Using the pseudonym Ali-Bab, he wrote the book for fun and included a long description of kosher cuisine as well as two Jewish recipes, one for choucroute, and one for poulet à la juive. Basically, he’s making a pot-au-feu, substituting chicken for beef and using fresh rendered chicken fat or veal-kidney suet. Since he finishes the dish off with butter, a no-no in kosher cooking, I have omitted this step. When serving this, I sometimes remove the skin and bones from the chicken for a more refined dish. I pile the chicken over white rice and spoon the gravy on top. Others, who like the meat on the bone, serve it as is. Sometimes called poule au bouillon or poule au pot, it is a comfort dish, and one often served in France for Friday night dinner or for the meal before the fast of Yom Kippur.
Recipe information
Yield
4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Sauté in a large saucepan or small stockpot the onion, leeks, carrots, turnip, and celery in 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil. Season with salt to taste, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are golden brown. Add 3 cups water, bring to a boil, and reduce the vegetable stock to a simmer, then cook for 40 minutes.
Step 2
Rinse the chicken pieces and pat dry. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a Dutch oven, and sear the chicken in batches on all sides until it is a deep golden brown. Set aside.
Step 3
Pour off all but 2 to 3 tablespoons of the fat. Lower the heat, and add the shallots and garlic. Stir constantly for 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the shallots and garlic, and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes, or until light brown.
Step 4
Add the vegetables and their stock, and, using a wooden spoon, scrape up all of the bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pot, season with salt and freshly ground pepper, cover, and simmer slowly for 1 hour. Just before serving, garnish with the fresh parsley.
