Chicken stock

Poached Chicken with Onion and Cracklings

1 medium onion, diced
1 split chicken breast, skin-on
3 cups chicken broth (store-bought is perfectly fine, so long as it is low-sodium)

Preheat oven to 325°F. Gently remove skin from each chicken breast, taking care not to tear skin. This is best done with one’s fingers. Loosen excess fat from the skin with the back of a knife or a teaspoon, and remove with a bit of paper towel. Dispose of fat, and reserve the two pieces of skin. Remove and dispose of any excess fat from the two skinless breast halves.

In an oven-proof sauce pan, place the stock, the diced onion, and the two breast halves (bone side up). Bring briefly to a boil, and then simmer gently, uncovered, for five minutes. Cover the sauce pan, and place in the oven for 15 minutes.

While chicken poaches, spray a thin film of olive oil onto a small sheet of aluminum foil, and place the two pieces of reserved chicken skin on it, stretching the skin as flat as possible. Season lightly with salt, and broil in toaster oven for about ten minutes, or until brown and thoroughly crisp. Blot any excess fat with a paper towel, and set aside.

After 15 minutes, remove the two half breasts from the sauce pan, and let cool to the touch. Strain stock and onions in a sieve, and return stock to sauce pan, reserving the onions in warm, covered bowl. Spoon off any excess fat from the stock, or pour off stock using a gravy separator. Bring stock to a boil on a medium flame and, skimming occasionally, reduce stock to a demi-glace. The reduction should coat the back of a wooden spoon, and will amount to just under half a cup. After the reduction is complete, correct the demi-glace for seasoning, and set aside.

As the stock reduces, separate the breast meat from the bone with a fork or with your fingers, disposing of bones, or reserving for another use. Slice the poached chicken into rough ½” cubes, salt lightly, and place in a warm, covered bowl. (The now-free toaster oven, set to about 130°F, is a good place to keep the diced onion and cubed chicken warm while reducing the stock.)

To serve, spoon the demi-glace onto two plates in equal amounts. In the middle of the demi-glace, place a mound of half of the diced onions, and then half of the cubed chicken on top of the onions. Into the chicken cubes on each dish, firmly plant a piece of the crisped chicken skin, as if it were a sail. Serve immediately.

Serves two.