In the kingdom of good taste, Lyon's cuisine reigns above all others. Lyon is definitely the gastronomic capital of the world. The history of Lyon, known at the time as Lugdunum, began under the Romans, in the first century bC, when the city was proclamed Capital of the Gauls. From that time, prosperity continued to grow, reaching its peak in the Renaissance. Development continued through the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries with the Lyon silk industry dressing the rich world over and decorating their interiors. The French Revolution in 1789 brought a brutal halt but development was revitalized under the Napoleonic Empire and Lyon became an industrial city. During World War II, Lyon was the center of French Resistance. Lyon acquired an European dimension through the cultural establishments and the creation of the "Part Dieu Business Center" in 1960.
Lyon has something in store for you around every corner. Take a walk through city's contrasting quarters, go for a stroll in the parks, give yourself a tasty break in one of the typical cafès or gastronomic restaurants, view the city from the fowing waters. Do not miss the Carolingian St-Martin d'Ainay Abbey and the Gothic St-Jean Cathedral (Medieval Lyon, the ecclesiastic City), "Vieux Lyon" (old city), the Museum of Fine Arts (Cité Internationale), the Hôtel de Ville and Place Bellecour.
POULARDE AU BOUILLON CRISTAL
Chicken with crystal bouillon
Ingredients for 4 runners: 1 fattened chicken, approximately 2 kilograms; 1 large black truffle (fresh or canned) approximately 20 grams.
For the stuffing: 300 grams of chipolatas; 100 grams of light raisins; 100 grams of chicken livers; 100 grams of cream cheese; 30 grams of butter; 1 scone, crumbled; 1 green apple; 15 grams of shelled walnuts; 15 grams of pine nuts; 15 grams of crushed garlic cloves; 50 grams of finely chopped onion; 1 bunch of flat-leaved parsley; 1 bunch of chervil; 1 tablespoon of white vinegar; 1 pinch of Cayenne pepper.
For the crystal bouillon: 4 chicken bouillon cubes; 1 leek; 1 onion.
For the sauce: 50 centilitres of thick crème fraîche; 1 squeeze of lemon juice; salt; pepper.
For the garnish: 4 small green cabbages; 8 baby fennels; 8 long baby turnips.
Ask your poulterer to cut an opening in the chicken near the neck and to separate the flesh from the skin for the truffle. Slice the truffle and slip it underneath the skin. Set some of the truffle aside for the sauce. Place the chicken in a cool place.
For the stuffing, soak the raisins in hot water, then drain. With a fork, crush the chipolatas and fry in 15 g (1/2 oz) butter, adding salt and pepper. Drain and keep the juice. Dice the apple with the skin and brown separately in the remaining 15 g (1/2 oz) of butter. Cut the livers into large pieces, fry them with the onions and the garlic purée in the sausage juice. Add salt and pepper, deglazez with vinegar and leave to cool. Then soften the stuffing with the cream cheese, adding raisins, herbs, chili pepper, scone crumbs, pine nuts and walnuts.
Stuff and truss the chicken, then wrap it in plastic film and tie up the legs. Meanwhile, heat approximately one gallon of water in a stewpot with a leek, an onion and the chicken bouillon cubes.
When the water begins to simmer, turn off the heat and plunge the chicken into the water. After 15 to 17 minutes, remove the chicken from the pan and immerse it in water with ice cubes. Turn on the heat, bring to boil and repeat the operation. The secret of this recipe lies in repeating this operation three times.
While the chicken simmers, poach the mini vegetables one by one in highly salted boiling water, checking them with the tip of a knife. As soon as they are "al dente", cool them in iced water.
To prepare the sauce, pour the crème fraîche in a saucepan, bring to a boil, add a squeeze of lemon juice, then salt, pepper and 10 g (1/4 oz) of chopped truffles. Take out the chicken, remove the plastic film and delicately detach the white meat from the torso, and serve. Put the chicken back in the bouillon to finishoff cooking the thighs, legs and stuffing, for second helpings. serve with the mini vegetables, thin pasta or Basmati rice.
Bon appétit! Enjoy the meal!
Suggested wine - Champagne. A dinner with Champagne is always "original" and the chemistry between the food and wine works superbly as Champagne always goes well with white meat. Curiously enough it's less a wine's aroma that determine the choice than it's volume and texture in the mouth. The texture, with its fine and lace - like bubbles, is what counts, as it corresponds with the texture of the chicken. If your Visa card can handle the hit, choose a bottle of "1979 Krug Collection". It's a blend of three regional grape varieties - Pinot Noir, Meunier and Chardonnay - which are vinified and barrel aged. This wine is incredibly refreshing, yet has intensely complex honey aromas and woodsy and buttery notes. It is very rich and lingers long in the mouth. Not only that: the delicate finesse of the vintage year marries perfectly with the dish's truffly taste.
