Whole Chicken French Dip

Chicken Ballotine, Chicken Feet Chicharones, Sticky Chicken Jus, Chicken Mayonnaise, Caramelized Onions, Cheddar Cheese, Sharp Greens

Chef Kimberly Plafke of Standing’s Butchery | Los Angeles

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Adapted by StarChefs | April 2024

INGREDIENTS

Chicken Ballotine: 
Yield: 4 servings
1 whole free range, hand-processed chicken, feet reserved 
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
Thyme
Minced garlic
Rosemary
Red chile flakes
Crushed coriander

Chicken Feet Chicharones:
Rendered animal fat for frying
Cheddar powder
Grated parmesan
Kosher salt

Sticky Chicken Jus:
Yield: 1 pint
1 carrot
1 onion
2 sticks celery
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup white wine
½ head garlic
2 sprigs thyme 
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
Kosher salt

Chicken Mayonnaise: 
Yield: 1 pint
1 egg yolk
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
Garlic
Thyme
Chopped parsley
Zest and juice of 1 lemon

To Assemble and Serve:
Yield: 1 sandwich
1 baguette, sliced in half lengthwise, toasted, and buttered
Caramelized onions
Sliced cheddar cheese
Sharp greens of your choice
Kosher salt

METHOD

For the Chicken Ballotine:
On a work surface, remove skin from chicken, keeping it as intact as possible. Remove 1 breast, 1 leg, and bones. Reserve. Slice remaining breast and leg in half, setting aside the other half. Pound the half breast and leg until thin and set aside. Pass the remaining half of breast and leg twice through a meat grinder. Transfer ground meat to a food processor and season with spices and herbs. Add ice as needed until the mixture becomes tacky. Transfer to a piping bag and set aside. On a work surface, lay out plastic wrap. Carefully drape reserved skin over plastic wrap. Top with pounded chicken breast and leg. Generously season with salt and pepper. Pipe a line of chicken farce horizontally in the center of the pounded chicken. Roll chicken into a tight log. Cover tightly in the plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. The next day, heat the water bath of an immersion circulator to 145°F. Cook ballotine 1 hour, then immediately cool in an ice bath. Reserve.

For the Chicken Feet Chicharones:
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Blanch reserved chicken feet. Repeat process. Bring a fresh pot of water to a simmer and cook feet 1 hour, until pliable with skin intact. Remove feet and, using tweezers, remove nails. On a work surface, use a knife to make small slits along joints of the finger. Remove bones and hard cartilage. Heat oven to lowest temperature. Dehydrate feet 5 hours, or until completely dry. In a fryer, heat animal fat to 375°F. Add feet and fry. Strain, let cool, then toss with cheddar powder, parmesan, and salt. Set aside.

For the Sticky Chicken Jus:
Heat oven to 400°F. In a mixing bowl, toss reserved chicken bones and vegetables with tomato paste. Transfer to a sheet tray and roast until bones are dark but not burnt. Transfer mixture to a large pot over medium heat. Add wine and cook until liquid is reduced by half. Cover with water and add garlic, thyme, and black peppercorns. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer 4 hours. Strain stock, reserving liquid. Transfer stock to a fresh pot over medium heat. Cook until liquid is reduced by half. Season with salt, then cover and refrigerate until cooled. Scrape off fat that has risen to the surface and reserve.

For the Chicken Mayonnaise:
In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, gently warm reserved chicken fat until melted. Heat the water bath of an immersion circulator to 145°F. Place reserved chicken breast and leg, half the warmed chicken fat, and a pinch of salt in a vacuum bag. Seal and cook sous vide 1 hour. Shred the meat and transfer to a food processor along with cooking liquid. Pulse until a paste is achieved. Add egg yolk, spices, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Mix to combine. With the machine running, slowly stream in remaining melted chicken fat. Blend until emulsified. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.

To Assemble and Serve:
In a cast iron pan over medium heat, sear Chicken Ballotine on all sides until skin is brown and chicken is hot throughout. Transfer to a work surface and slice into desired size. Set aside. Place baguette on a serving plate and spread Chicken Mayonnaise over both halves. Pile Chicken Ballotine slices, caramelized onions, and cheddar on bottom half. Using a hand torch, melt cheese. Top with greens and finish with salt. Close sandwich and serve with Chicken Feet Chicharones and a ramekin of warm Sticky Chicken Jus.

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