Chicken Ballotine

Chicken Ballotine is chicken in it's own skin. In a fancy french restaurant, you might be served a stuffed leg with a cleaned leg bone stocking out. This version is using most of the chicken to make 3 pieces, and is finished by being pan seared (though could be fried or roasted instead if preferred). The process takes 2 days to complete. Start w/ a well raised locally purchased chicken.

Step 1: Day one: Skinning & Portioning the chicken

Starting from the back of the bird (along the spine, the part touching cutting board in the picture) cut and tear the skin away carefully to keep it in one whole piece. It's a little like undressing the bird. Cutting around the end of drumsticks is necessary, and the skin on the wings is more trouble to remove than it's worth. Scrape off any major fat left on the skin (I was lucky and didn't have much). Place in a large sheet or hotel pan, lightly season with salt, and leave overnight uncovered in the refrigerator. This step is necessary. It allows the skin to dehydrate some so that when cooked it doesn't shrink as much.

Remove the chicken breast meat, and the legs and thigh meat. Remove the bones from the thighs and legs. Use the bones, carcass, and wings for a stock or sauce of your choosing. Cut the chicken breasts into thin strips and refrigerate. Keep the dark meat out for the next step.