Roast Chicken with Egg Yolk Schupfnudel
A whole roast bird makes for a beautiful centerpiece for a holiday table. Ours is stuffed with a black truffle chicken mousse tucked beneath the skin. If you’d rather a more traditional preparation, a classic roast chicken recipe is just as welcome.
Our side car is schupfnudel, a German finger-shaped dumpling that’s similar to gnocchi in texture. Since they’re made with hard-boiled egg yolks, they’re heartier, making them a great vegetarian or “pasta” main course.
Roast Chicken
serves 2-4
When making the chicken mousse, don’t over-blend. You want a smooth mixture, but work quickly so the blades don’t heat the mousse.
Shopping List —
1 whole chicken
oil
4 tbsp brown butter, melted
salt
for the chicken mousse
350 grams ground chicken
9 grams kosher salt
9 grams potato starch
56 grams egg whites
158 grams heavy cream
40 grams black truffle in oil, minced
26 grams crème fraîche
for the brine —
120 grams salt
4000 grams water
Equipment —
food processor
rubber spatula
latex gloves
piping bag
sheet tray with a rack
meat thermometer
Steps —
for the chicken mousse
Chill all of the ingredients for the chicken mousse until cold.
In a food processor, pulse the ground chicken with the salt to develop the myosin (the protein that acts as a binder). Add the potato starch and pulse again until combined.
Stream in the egg whites. Scrape down the bowl and blend again.
Stream in the heavy cream. Scrape down the bowl and blend again until combined and smooth.
Scrape out the chicken mousse to a mixing bowl. Fold in the crème fraîche and minced black truffle using a gloved hand or rubber spatula.
Transfer the mousse to a piping bag and refrigerate until you’re ready to use.
for the chicken brine
Dissolve the salt in the water for the brine — it should taste salty like the sea. Remove the giblets and trim any excess fat from the cavity. Place the chicken in a big enough vessel for the brine to completely cover the bird. Brine overnight for 8 hours.
Pull out the chicken from the brine. If time allows, place the chicken on a wire rack and place in the fridge overnight, uncovered, to dry out the skin. Discard the brine.
for the roast chicken
Remove the wish bone: feel for the v-shaped bone at the top of the neck. Make small cuts on both sides to free it from the breast meat and cartilage. Once it’s exposed, insert your fingers under the bone to pull it out, gently wiggling it or turning it to get it free in one piece.
Using a flat hand gently separate the breast skin away from the breast meat but leave the skin intact at the legs.
*Go in from both the sides: near the cavity and near the neck opening. Gently inching your hand up to separate the skin. If any part of the skin is attached to the chicken, use small shears to release it from the breast.
Place the chicken on a sheet tray on a rack (this is what you’ll roast it on). Pipe the chicken mousse under the skin evenly between both breasts, using your hand to smooth it in an even layer.
If time allows, let the chicken chill in the fridge uncovered overnight to dry out for a crispier skin. Or at minimum, one hour.
to roast
Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
Pull the chicken to room temperature 30 minutes prior to roasting.
Meanwhile, make brown butter: melt butter over medium heat, stirring often so solids don’t burn, about 10 minutes. It should be toasty and deep brown. Remove from heat.
Brush the bird with neutral oil and season with salt.
Roast the bird for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, brush the breast and thighs with about half of the brown butter, and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
Place back in the oven to roast for another 20 minutes. Repeat the brown butter brush, and rest for 5 minutes.
Roast for another 10-15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF.
Allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving.
Egg Yolk Schupfnudel
serves 4
Shopping List —
for the dumplings
150 grams hard-boiled egg yolks, passed through a tamis (about 10 yolks)
2 raw egg yolks
42 grams finely micro-planed Parmesan
83 grams crème fraîche
58 grams 00 flour
4 grams fleur de sel
3-4 grams roasted garlic puree
freshly ground pepper to taste
bench flour, as needed
to finish
chicken stock or water
crème fraîche
chives
freshly cracked black pepper
Equipment —
medium mixing bowl with spatula
half sheet trays with silpats
microplane
tamis
Steps —
Peel the hard boil eggs and pass just the yolks through a tamis or fine-mesh sieve.
Combine the egg yolks, raw egg yolks, Parmesan cheese, crème fraîche, salt, and roasted garlic puree in a mixing bowl and work until fully incorporated.
Work in the flour, adding just enough to combine, being careful to not over knead the dough. The dough should be soft and supple, not sticky, and hold its shape when rolled.
Portion the dough into 20 gram balls.
Using both hands at the start with just your fingers, roll the dough into a sausage shape. Once each dumpling is about 2-3 inches in length, spread your hands apart and angle your fingers slightly down to create a tapered shape on both ends with the thickest part in the center.
Chill on a parchment lined sheet tray for 10-15 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water up to a boil.
In batches, cook the dumplings in the water. When they float, allow to cook for 30-45 seconds before removing with a slotted spoon to a clean sheet tray. Allow to cool in the refrigerator.
While the chicken is roasting, heat a skillet to medium heat. Add oil to coat the pan. Add the schupfnudel and allow to brown on all sides, flipping the pan often.
Add a splash of water or stock to coat the bottom. Bring up to a simmer and add a pat of crème fraîche. Toss until creamy. Remove from the heat. Finish with salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and chives.
