La poule au pot

Guillaume Brahimi shares his version of tender poached chicken topped with a silky mustard sauce – a classic home-style French recipe. It's the ideal dish to for a beginner looking to kickstart a love of French cooking!

Credit: Mark Roper

• serves

  4

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  1:15 hour

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 1 onion, halved
• 2 carrots, cut into 5 cm pieces
• 2 turnips, cut into 5 cm pieces
• 1 leek, cut into 5 cm pieces
• 2 celery stalks, cut into 5 cm pieces
• 1 garlic bulb, sliced in half
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 thyme sprigs
• Salt
• 1 tsp black peppercorns, crushed
• 1.8 kg whole chicken
• 2 litres chicken stock

For the mustard sauce

• 3 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• 2 tbsp crème fraîche
• 1 tbsp English mustard
• 2 tbsp finely chopped chervil

Instructions

1. Combine the vegetables, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, a generous pinch of salt and peppercorns in a large saucepan. Place the chicken over the vegetables, then pour over the chicken stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 50-60 minutes, or until the chicken is just cooked through. Remove the chicken to a plate and allow to rest. Strain the stock through a fine mesh strainer and keep the vegetables warm.
   
2. Make the mustard sauce. Melt the butter for the sauce in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring continuously for 3 minutes, until the roux begins to bubble. While whisking, gradually pour 200 ml of the strained chicken stock into the roux until the mixture begins to thicken. Add more stock to reach your desired sauce consistency. Whisk through the remaining ingredients for the sauce, then remove from the heat.
   
3. Transfer the vegetables to a large serving plate and top with the chicken. Pour over the mustard sauce and serve.

Watch how to make this recipe on Episode 14 of Plat du Tour Season 6, streaming free on SBS On Demand. See Plat du Tour each night during coverage of the 2025 Tour de France.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.