Six leg stubble hen : Chef Peter Thornley

‘Six leg stubble hen’
Poulet rouge, rabbit saddle with Tokyo turnips, broad beans and truffle chestnut
Garden marjoram

I love reading culinary history – you know from the time before there were Robot-coupes, blenders, Pacojet, vacuum packers. A million miles away from the liquid nitrogen and toys of my kitchen.

This is a dish in name and principle from the 16th century.

A hen never had six legs, but in the 16th century it was called stubble in the summer because it fed on the grain that fell to the ground during harvest, green in the winter as the hen would feed on grass. A hen and rabbit were cooked in the same pan. The rabbit took on the flavour of the chicken, so the hen is said to have six legs. The children were given the rabbit and told it was chicken to eat while mum and dad ate the hen.

3 small poulet rouge 450g each dressed weight, oven ready.
3 farmed rabbit saddles
4 sprigs thyme
3 sprigs summer savoury
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoon unsalted butter
24 Tokyo turnips
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 cup freshly shelled broad beans
3 preserved truffle chestnuts
300mls chicken non glacé
3 sprigs marjoram

Preheat the oven to 220C, pat the chicken dry with a paper towel.

Remove the wings, legs and under carriages, from the chicken leaving the breasts attached to the remaining carcass, this is known as the crown. Now remove the wish bone. Season with a light sprinkling of salt and freshly milled white pepper insert sprigs of thyme and summer savoury into the cavity.

Cook the turnips in boiling salted water for 4 minutes, plunge into ice water and scrape off the skins with a small pairing knife. Wash the turnips place in a container, cover and set to on side. Blanch board beans for 1 minute and remove the grey skin by squeezing between your fingers place in a container. Cover and set to one side.

To cook the chicken and rabbit, heat canola oil in a large sauté pan over a medium to high heat. And place the chicken skin side down in the hot oil, cook for about 1 minute on each side or until the skin is a light golden brown. Remove the chicken and set to one side seal the rabbit saddles for 1 minute on each side in the same pan. Drain off half the fat. Add the chicken back to the pan scatter over the thyme and butter and place in the oven. Continue to cook and baste for another 3 minutes remove the rabbit and rest return pan to the oven and cook the chicken for a further 6 to 8 minutes or until the meat cooked and the skin a light golden.

Remove from the pan and rest for 5 minutes. At Bracu I would us buttered nage as opposed to butter to baste the chicken.

To serve, while the chicken and rabbit are resting, bring the chicken nonglacé to the simmer. Add marjoram and simmer for 2 minutes pass the sauce through fine chinois.

Reheat turnips in 1 tablespoon of butter and 2 tablespoons of water over a medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Meanwhile plunge broad beans into boiling salted water for 1 minute, drain in a colander and season with salt.

Using a sharp knife remove breasts from the chicken and fillets from the saddle. Cut rabbit fillet lengthwise through the middle.

Arrange on the plate, scatter over the turnips, board beans. Froth the sauce and spoon over the chicken and rabbit. Shave the chestnuts over the dish.

(serves 6)