‘Cook two young chicken . . . but do not lard them, cooked tender, juicy, of a beautiful colour and serve them with good rice or tagliatelle underneath. Release the cooking juice, purée it through a sieve, defat it, and reduced as a sauce, pour it over . . . They are served with a garnish of asparagus and mushroom.’ (Giovanni Vialardi)
Serves 8
120 g (4 oz) unsalted butter
1 tbsp olive oil
2 small carrots, cubed
2 onions, sliced
2 celery sticks, cut into strips
small bunch of parsley
2 fresh free-range or organic roasting chickens, weighing about 1 kg (2 lb) each
sea salt and pepper
2 tsp fresh rosemary and fresh sage leaves, chopped
450 ml (3/4 pint) good meat or chicken stock
300 g (10 oz) long-grain rice
6 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan
Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F) mark 6.
Put half the butter, the oil, vegetables and parsley in a heavy casserole into which the two birds will fit snugly. Cook for 10–15 minutes over a low heat, turning the vegetables over quite frequently.
Meanwhile wash the chickens under cold water and pat dry with kitchen paper. Season each cavity with salt and pepper and with the chopped herbs. Place the chickens over the bed of vegetables, pour over half the stock and season, if necessary, with salt and pepper. Cover with a piece of foil and with the lid. Place the casserole in the oven and cook until the chickens are done, about 1 1/2 hours. Test by piercing a thigh with a skewer. The liquid that runs out should be clear.
Put a large saucepan of water on the heat for the rice.
Carve the chickens into neat pieces and place on a dish. Cover loosely with foil and keep warm in the oven with the heat turned off.
Skim off as much of the fat floating on the surface of the cooking juices as you can. Turn the cooking juices with all the vegetables into a food processor or a blender and blend to a smooth purée. The purée should have the consistency of single cream; if it is too thick add a little of the reserved stock. Taste and check the seasoning. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and keep warm in a bain-marie, i.e. by placing the bowl in a saucepan half full of boiling water and covering with a lid.
Cook the rice in the boiling water to which you have added 1 1/2 tablespoons of salt. When the rice is al dente, drain well and return immediately to the pan in which it has cooked. Toss with the remaining butter, season with Parmesan and with a few grindings of pepper and then add a few tablespoons of the sauce to coat the rice thoroughly.
Transfer the rice to a large heated serving dish, making a well in the middle. Place the chicken pieces in the well and spoon over the rest of the sauce. Serve at once.
preparation
The chicken can be cooked up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated in a covered container. Carve the chicken before reheating. Reheat in the oven and then make the sauce.