A popular combination in Belgium. Poaching the chicken ensures juicy meat and the meat balls can be made with whatever you prefer. Serve with buttered new potatoes, mash or piled into a pastry case.
What equipment do you recommend?Check my 'Kitchen Essentials' list on Amazon!
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 whole chicken (approx 1.4kg)
- splash vegetable oil
- 1 carrot roughly chopped
- 1 celery stick roughly chopped
- 1 small onion roughly chopped
- 4 sprigs parsley
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 1 bay leaf
Meatballs
- 150 g beef mince
- 350 g pork mince
- 1 thick slice bread soaked in 50 ml milk
- 1 large banana shallot finely diced
- 10 g parsley finely chopped
- 1 egg beaten
- 15 g breadcrumbs
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
Sauce
- 200 g chestnut button mushrooms
- 40 g unsalted butter
- 40 g flour
- 100 ml double cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 C Fan. Season the bird with salt and pepper.
- In a stock pot big enough to snugly fit the submerged chicken, add a splash of vegetable oil and brown the bird on all sides for a few minutes. Add the chicken stock, carrot, onion, celery, parsley, thyme and bay leaf. Top up with water to ensure the bird is fully submerged. Bring to the boil, lower the heat to a simmer then cover with a cartouche (piece of baking paper cut to fit over the chicken) and place in the oven for 45 minutes or until the bird is cooked through.
- Remove from the oven, place the bird in a bowl and allow to cool a little, using a sieve, strain the stock into a sauce pan, bring to the boil and reduce to 500ml. Once the bird is cool enough to handle, shred all the meat off into the bowl.
- To make the meatballs, mix all the ingredients together using your hands. Form into walnut size balls. Add a splash of vegetable oil to a frying pan, brown the meatballs on all sides then place in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through. Once cooked, add to the bowl with the chicken.
- In a large saucepan add a splash of vegetable oil to a pan, cook the mushrooms until well coloured. Tip into the bowl with the chicken and meatballs. In the same pan, gently melt the butter, beat in flour and cook for a minutes. Add reduced chicken stock a little at a time, stirring continuously. Keep adding and stirring. finally stir in double cream. Allow to bubble and thicken for a few minutes then add the chicken, meatballs and mushrooms.
- Serve with mash or buttered new potatoes or in a vol au vent pastry case.
Nutrition
Calories: 380.5kcalCarbohydrates: 10.5gProtein: 17.1gFat: 29.8gSaturated Fat: 14.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10.9gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 120.4mgSodium: 290.1mgPotassium: 356.6mgFiber: 1.1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 2372.8IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 48.2mgIron: 1.9mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!