There are hundreds, if not thousands, of ways to prepare a bird. Roasted, poached, steamed, grilled, curried: the combinations of flavors and methods could fill an encyclopedia. And we bet you've had your fill.
Chicken in a pig's bladder, however, has probably not been on the menu. While it might sound offal -- pun intended -- stuffed with butter and fresh truffle, the dish is actually pretty freaking good.
If you're feeling curious or want to try to stuff a bladder yourself, we did a pictorial how-to with Executive Chef Jim Leiken formerly of Cafe Boulud.
See Also:
- French Chicken Farmer: Organic, Pasture-Raised, Free-Range Chickens From Loxahatchee
- How to Truss a Chicken With Jim Leiken of Cafe Boulud (Photo Instructions)
- Cafe Boulud's Jim Leiken: A Q&A About Pig's Bladder and "Imaginary Daniel Boulud"
According to Leiken, "Traditionally, the dish uses poulet de bresse, which are all over the place in Lyon, Burgundy, but it's really difficult to find over here. They grow much slower than commercial chickens over here -- about three times slower. I've been using poulet rouge out of North Carolina."
