Christmas

Chicken with Black Truffles

by:
February  7, 2017
4.4
5 Ratings
Chicken with Black Truffles
Photo by James Ransom
  • Makes 2 chicken breasts
Author Notes

This recipe yields some of the juiciest white meat chicken you will ever taste. The addition of shaved black truffles makes this dish feel luxurious, yet it is not that difficult to make. With this recipe, you can wow your friends/family/date without having to work too hard.

By poaching the chicken inside a resealable plastic bag at a very specific temperature (between 145 and 155 F), you are effectively creating a homemade “sous vide.” The chicken stays moist and juicy without ever overcooking. When the chicken is done poaching, it gets seared in butter until the skin is crispy, and then bathed in a quick pan sauce of white wine, chicken stock, and more shaved black truffles. —Josh Cohen

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 small fresh black truffle
  • 2 boneless chicken breasts, skin on
  • salt
  • 1 gallon size plastic resealable storage bag
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
Directions
  1. Place the chicken breasts skin side up on a cutting board. Use your fingers to gently pry the skin away from the breasts, making sure to keep the skin attached to the breasts. You simply want to create a small pocket of space between the skin and the breast meat.
  2. Using a mandolin or truffle shaver, shave half of your truffle into very thin disks. Place these disks underneath the skin of the chicken. The skin of the chicken should hold the truffles in place.
  3. Season the flesh side of the chicken breasts with salt, then place the chicken inside the gallon size bag. Add the milk, thyme, and bay leaves to the bag. Let the chicken marinate overnight, or for at least 4 hours.
  4. Set a large pot of water over medium heat. Use a thermometer to monitor the temperature of the water. When the temperature of the water is between 170 and 180 F, place the sealed bag of chicken inside the pot of water. Try to get rid of any large pockets of air inside the bag before adding to the pot.
  5. Continue to monitor the temperature of the water. Now that you have added the chicken, you want the temperature to stay between 145 and 155 F. Adjust the heat as necessary to achieve this temperature. Let the chicken cook for 1 hour.
  6. After 1 hour, remove the bag from the water. Remove the chicken from the bag, pat it dry with a towel, and let it rest momentarily on a large plate. Discard the bag along with everything inside of it. Set a skillet over medium heat, and add 1 tablespoon of butter. When the butter is melted and beginning to sizzle, add the chicken skin side down. Let the chicken cook for 3-4 minutes. Use tongs to lift the chicken and check if the skin has browned nicely. When the skin looks brown and crispy, flip the chicken and cook the flesh side for 3-4 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skillet.
  7. Deglaze the skillet with white wine. When the wine has reduced by at least half, add the stock. When the contents of the skillet have again reduced by at least half, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and whisk to incorporate. Season the sauce lightly with salt, taste, and adjust with more salt as necessary. Add the chicken back into the skillet. Shave the remaining half of the black truffle over the top of the chicken and into the sauce. Serve and enjoy.
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2 Reviews

Mark
Mark February 25, 2017
Legions of dead French Chefs roll over in there graves at a recipe that calls for 1 small fresh black truffle 2 and a 1 gallon size plastic resealable storage bag. We miss you Julia.
 
Alison
Alison May 30, 2023
Wow!! This was delicious! I wonder if Mark even attempted to make this recipe. (now spell "their" correctly) I finely shaved the truffles on a mandolin. I also used my sous vide machine and then crisped up the skin in a cast iron pan. I made this for four, people and served it with tender-crisp asparagus and creamy garlic mashed potatoes. Comfort food, with a decadent twist. Our dinner guests enjoyed it as much as we did!