Chicken à la crème (w/ Claudine Pépin)
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Date: 2026-04-12
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Comments and reviews: 20
Jeff-si7ni
Success! It's been years since I've cooked chicken, or French recipes, or even very much rice. (I've been on an serious Italian bender) I was expecting a few (I'm very generous with few) things to go rwong, but I'd call the result a 10/10. I would be impressed to receive this in a restaurant. A few notes/questions:
1) Thank you for the tip about adding frozen peas to the already cooked rice. They had an identifiable (good) taste and texture. I've been over-cooking frozen peas my whole life, apparently.
2) My chicken skins stuck to the aluminum foil. Please don't tell me I'm supposed to grease it first. (I'm not, right) I can't recall if it was bumpy-side-up or v. v.; is there a right way Again, it was seriously stuck - I ripped the foila bit trying to lift it. Once I had most of it lifted, I turned it over and gave it a few more minutes as it wasn't quite crispy yet. The end result was great.
3) Chicken and Rice with White Stuff. Hard to imagine the adrenaline (or ghrellin) spiking in response. But the dish has a very nicely balanced, delicate pallette of flavors. I already mentioned the peas. The tarragon I picked from the garden (first of the season) expressed itself nicely, as did the chives.
4) And how to say this There was also a very pleasant chicken flavor. One reason I haven't cooked chicken in years is because of it's (well-earned) white hockey puck reputation. But the toasting of the rice in chicken fat, the self-medication option of the crispy chicken skin, and the de-glazed pan fawn combined to raise the chicken-flavor game. It made me think of the 1970's, when even in the US, chicken had a distinct chickeny goodness.
5) The work flow worked. I appreciate you pointing out when you did things, like putting the skins in the oven after starting the simmer. I've got serious memory/distraction problems and I didn't forget anything.
6) Le mise en place. One thing I have learned after decades of struggle is to prepare every thnig ahead of time, just like on cooking shows. Have the everything measured out and conveniently placed in small bowls: the chopped herbs, the flour, the rice, etc. This is TOTALLY NOT how I am inclined work. But if I submit to this harsh regime, things just go better. Much better.
7) What (else) is wrong with this planet This dinner reminded me of a question I have surpressed for decades. Why doesn't everyone on the planet use tarragon in every single dish Seriously, are they even human
Thank you Adam and Jacques and Claudine. You make me want to go to Bresse.
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Success! It's been years since I've cooked chicken, or French recipes, or even very much rice. (I've been on an serious Italian bender) I was expecting a few (I'm very generous with few) things to go rwong, but I'd call the result a 10/10. I would be impressed to receive this in a restaurant. A few notes/questions:
1) Thank you for the tip about adding frozen peas to the already cooked rice. They had an identifiable (good) taste and texture. I've been over-cooking frozen peas my whole life, apparently.
2) My chicken skins stuck to the aluminum foil. Please don't tell me I'm supposed to grease it first. (I'm not, right) I can't recall if it was bumpy-side-up or v. v.; is there a right way Again, it was seriously stuck - I ripped the foila bit trying to lift it. Once I had most of it lifted, I turned it over and gave it a few more minutes as it wasn't quite crispy yet. The end result was great.
3) Chicken and Rice with White Stuff. Hard to imagine the adrenaline (or ghrellin) spiking in response. But the dish has a very nicely balanced, delicate pallette of flavors. I already mentioned the peas. The tarragon I picked from the garden (first of the season) expressed itself nicely, as did the chives.
4) And how to say this There was also a very pleasant chicken flavor. One reason I haven't cooked chicken in years is because of it's (well-earned) white hockey puck reputation. But the toasting of the rice in chicken fat, the self-medication option of the crispy chicken skin, and the de-glazed pan fawn combined to raise the chicken-flavor game. It made me think of the 1970's, when even in the US, chicken had a distinct chickeny goodness.
5) The work flow worked. I appreciate you pointing out when you did things, like putting the skins in the oven after starting the simmer. I've got serious memory/distraction problems and I didn't forget anything.
6) Le mise en place. One thing I have learned after decades of struggle is to prepare every thnig ahead of time, just like on cooking shows. Have the everything measured out and conveniently placed in small bowls: the chopped herbs, the flour, the rice, etc. This is TOTALLY NOT how I am inclined work. But if I submit to this harsh regime, things just go better. Much better.
7) What (else) is wrong with this planet This dinner reminded me of a question I have surpressed for decades. Why doesn't everyone on the planet use tarragon in every single dish Seriously, are they even human
Thank you Adam and Jacques and Claudine. You make me want to go to Bresse.
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musoangelo
Wow. I'm not sure you're aware but Jacque writes about this recipe in his biography My life as an Apprentice. The whole biography is a great read, starting as a little boy during the second world war to the point that he's apprenticed out at age 14. The bio goes through his time as Charles De Gaulle's cook and his coming to America and his work with Howard Johnsons and his lifelong friendship with Julia Childs. The story of of the Poulet au la Creme goes as follows. He was working at a nice hotel in the French Alps, age 16 (I think) and he was on call for the evening. A group of travelers came in late and wanted to be fed. Poulet was on the menu and he describes how he makes it (over the decades, he's shown a version of it on dozens of day time talking shows and it's always a little different) After the meal the travelers were so blown away with how delicious it was that they insisted on meeting the chef and thanking him. Well they trot out this skinny kid from the kitchen to the amazement of the diners. Chicken Lyonnaise is basically the same but with a little tomato paste when the onions are mostly done and some red wine vinegar. Some recipe's add a lot of vinegar, which I don't like but 2 Tbsp's of red and a Tbsp of sherry vinegar is really nice in my opinion. It add a bit of dept to the sauce. At any rate it is a great recipe and some mash potatoes (one sweet to 3 regular potatoes) is another way to sop up the gravy. Happy Cooking.
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Wow. I'm not sure you're aware but Jacque writes about this recipe in his biography My life as an Apprentice. The whole biography is a great read, starting as a little boy during the second world war to the point that he's apprenticed out at age 14. The bio goes through his time as Charles De Gaulle's cook and his coming to America and his work with Howard Johnsons and his lifelong friendship with Julia Childs. The story of of the Poulet au la Creme goes as follows. He was working at a nice hotel in the French Alps, age 16 (I think) and he was on call for the evening. A group of travelers came in late and wanted to be fed. Poulet was on the menu and he describes how he makes it (over the decades, he's shown a version of it on dozens of day time talking shows and it's always a little different) After the meal the travelers were so blown away with how delicious it was that they insisted on meeting the chef and thanking him. Well they trot out this skinny kid from the kitchen to the amazement of the diners. Chicken Lyonnaise is basically the same but with a little tomato paste when the onions are mostly done and some red wine vinegar. Some recipe's add a lot of vinegar, which I don't like but 2 Tbsp's of red and a Tbsp of sherry vinegar is really nice in my opinion. It add a bit of dept to the sauce. At any rate it is a great recipe and some mash potatoes (one sweet to 3 regular potatoes) is another way to sop up the gravy. Happy Cooking.
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twillongenbone4057
Sooo, about what's-her-name and the cream comments No. Heavy cream has closer to 50 calories per tablespoon, not 25. Not the end of the world, but she was significantly off.
Now, about the part you alluded to: olive oil isn’t going to save your life. Full stop. It does have health benefits that go beyond its caloriesanti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, for example, and all the downstream benefits those confer. But that really has nothing to do with heavy cream. They’re chemically different fats.
Fats, beyond their calorie content, are important for cell membranes, chemical synthesis, modulation of the inflammatory cascade, and a host of other functions. Not all fats are created equal. Some, like those in olive oil, are generally anti-inflammatory. Others can be pro-inflammatory. One must NOT assume that other fat sources are automatically beneficial just because olive oil isthat’s a categorical error.
I could keep expanding on the nuance here until even biochemists get tired, but I think the point is clear: use cream sparingly, enjoy it, and don’t talk about olive oil in the same breath. Otherwise, you risk weird logical conflations and half-truths, like what home girl just fired off.
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Sooo, about what's-her-name and the cream comments No. Heavy cream has closer to 50 calories per tablespoon, not 25. Not the end of the world, but she was significantly off.
Now, about the part you alluded to: olive oil isn’t going to save your life. Full stop. It does have health benefits that go beyond its caloriesanti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, for example, and all the downstream benefits those confer. But that really has nothing to do with heavy cream. They’re chemically different fats.
Fats, beyond their calorie content, are important for cell membranes, chemical synthesis, modulation of the inflammatory cascade, and a host of other functions. Not all fats are created equal. Some, like those in olive oil, are generally anti-inflammatory. Others can be pro-inflammatory. One must NOT assume that other fat sources are automatically beneficial just because olive oil isthat’s a categorical error.
I could keep expanding on the nuance here until even biochemists get tired, but I think the point is clear: use cream sparingly, enjoy it, and don’t talk about olive oil in the same breath. Otherwise, you risk weird logical conflations and half-truths, like what home girl just fired off.
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Frenchconnection6
it's not just about the calories it's also about the cholesterol. Cream and butter are high in cholesterol, (all the good stuff is, like prawns, coconut, egg yolks, cheese, red meat) so if you are taking medication to lower your cholesterol then it doesn't make sense to include a lot of high-c foods in your diet. I don't mind a little cream once in a while - like special occasions - but I'm not going to play with my health by having it daily or even weekly. I do appreciate that some food just tastes better by adding butter and or cream to it but prefer to eat healthier options for the most part and have dishes like this when I go out.
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it's not just about the calories it's also about the cholesterol. Cream and butter are high in cholesterol, (all the good stuff is, like prawns, coconut, egg yolks, cheese, red meat) so if you are taking medication to lower your cholesterol then it doesn't make sense to include a lot of high-c foods in your diet. I don't mind a little cream once in a while - like special occasions - but I'm not going to play with my health by having it daily or even weekly. I do appreciate that some food just tastes better by adding butter and or cream to it but prefer to eat healthier options for the most part and have dishes like this when I go out.
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graxiecool
Its unfair to compare olive oil to cream like that. You don't use extra virgin olive oil with the same quantities as heavy cream. I use a lot of EVOO and it probably takes me a month to finish 500ml bottle. A 500ml bottle of heavy cream on the other hand is empty after a few meals. Also comparing them by calories isnt good. EVOO contains healthier fats, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory and has shown to reduce cardiovascular diseases. I dont know what kind of heavy cream you guys have, but where I live one tablespoon of heavy cream is 50 calories, not 25 as she said.
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Its unfair to compare olive oil to cream like that. You don't use extra virgin olive oil with the same quantities as heavy cream. I use a lot of EVOO and it probably takes me a month to finish 500ml bottle. A 500ml bottle of heavy cream on the other hand is empty after a few meals. Also comparing them by calories isnt good. EVOO contains healthier fats, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory and has shown to reduce cardiovascular diseases. I dont know what kind of heavy cream you guys have, but where I live one tablespoon of heavy cream is 50 calories, not 25 as she said.
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wendybinnj
I remember when Chef Pepin made a show using leftover cooked cornish hen breast and make it like pot pie filling. He used 2-3 tbsp of cream for two portions and I have made it with leftover rotisserie chicken and use up the veg from the fridge. He said he's not going to claim it's low calorie, but truly it is less caloric than using olive oil or butter in the sauce. I've also made it with leftover turkey. That is a really good one. That was the first chef to help me gain confidence with cooking. Also he makes some recipes similar to the food I grew up with.
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I remember when Chef Pepin made a show using leftover cooked cornish hen breast and make it like pot pie filling. He used 2-3 tbsp of cream for two portions and I have made it with leftover rotisserie chicken and use up the veg from the fridge. He said he's not going to claim it's low calorie, but truly it is less caloric than using olive oil or butter in the sauce. I've also made it with leftover turkey. That is a really good one. That was the first chef to help me gain confidence with cooking. Also he makes some recipes similar to the food I grew up with.
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kurtz7221
JP's daughter's take is such an American take. People over there need to stop reasoning with calories being the first reason why one should or should not cook/eat something. Olive oil is a lot healthier than butter generally, and both have their uses. Cream is amazing, but assuming it's fine to multiply the calories so it equals whatever quantity of olive oil is nonsense and shouldn't be put out there. And I say this as a Frenchman with a love for all three of these.
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JP's daughter's take is such an American take. People over there need to stop reasoning with calories being the first reason why one should or should not cook/eat something. Olive oil is a lot healthier than butter generally, and both have their uses. Cream is amazing, but assuming it's fine to multiply the calories so it equals whatever quantity of olive oil is nonsense and shouldn't be put out there. And I say this as a Frenchman with a love for all three of these.
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TheMimiSard
Fry chicken skin until they are crispy and you have a pile of grease. Salt the crispy skins, put the grease aside for cooking fat. The name I have found is _Gribenes_ and the rendered fat is schmaltz. I originally encountered this in a recipe book about Jewish cooking, I don't often have chicken skins that I am removing from the chicken (I have been buying deboned sauced chickens that have been on special for Easter) as I want the skin to crisp up in the oven.
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Fry chicken skin until they are crispy and you have a pile of grease. Salt the crispy skins, put the grease aside for cooking fat. The name I have found is _Gribenes_ and the rendered fat is schmaltz. I originally encountered this in a recipe book about Jewish cooking, I don't often have chicken skins that I am removing from the chicken (I have been buying deboned sauced chickens that have been on special for Easter) as I want the skin to crisp up in the oven.
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kimsnader8777
Fantastic, easy-to-execute recipe.
I've always kept cream instead of milk in my fridge because it lasts so much longer. FWIW, I don't drink milk, I use yogurt on cereal, and I use dried milk powder for baking (add the proportional amount of water to the batter for the milk volume required by the recipe, and the cream is used for soups and sauces (thinned with homemade stock when needed.
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Fantastic, easy-to-execute recipe.
I've always kept cream instead of milk in my fridge because it lasts so much longer. FWIW, I don't drink milk, I use yogurt on cereal, and I use dried milk powder for baking (add the proportional amount of water to the batter for the milk volume required by the recipe, and the cream is used for soups and sauces (thinned with homemade stock when needed.
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MacAlmighty
Where did the there’s only 25 calories in a tablespoon of heavy cream’ come from If heavy cream is 40% fat, then it’s about 6 grams of fat per tablespoon. And if a gram of fat is 9 calories, then a table spoon of 40% heavy cream is about 54 calories. Closer to 50 if it’s 36%. That said, that is half the calories of olive oil which is like, all fat, so fair enough there.
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Where did the there’s only 25 calories in a tablespoon of heavy cream’ come from If heavy cream is 40% fat, then it’s about 6 grams of fat per tablespoon. And if a gram of fat is 9 calories, then a table spoon of 40% heavy cream is about 54 calories. Closer to 50 if it’s 36%. That said, that is half the calories of olive oil which is like, all fat, so fair enough there.
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trublgrl
I salute you for using the CF (Chicken Fat) To me, it's one of the most flavorful animal fats, closer to duck fat than lard, for instance. I will buy a family pack of 10-12 chicken thighs, and render the fat from the skins and the fatty trimmings, and get between a cup and a pint of usable fat. It's amazing in soups, and as a cooking fat.
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I salute you for using the CF (Chicken Fat) To me, it's one of the most flavorful animal fats, closer to duck fat than lard, for instance. I will buy a family pack of 10-12 chicken thighs, and render the fat from the skins and the fatty trimmings, and get between a cup and a pint of usable fat. It's amazing in soups, and as a cooking fat.
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_Natalie_Jackson
Honestly, my issue with cream isn't the fat so much as what it does to sauces. It makes them taste excessively heavy and rich for me, and it also adds a strange sort of sweetness that I find a bit unpleasant. Usually for cream sauces, I just go with whole milk and thicken with a bit more roux than one might need using cream.
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Honestly, my issue with cream isn't the fat so much as what it does to sauces. It makes them taste excessively heavy and rich for me, and it also adds a strange sort of sweetness that I find a bit unpleasant. Usually for cream sauces, I just go with whole milk and thicken with a bit more roux than one might need using cream.
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ColdDuckSoup
I think it's about people's want (need) to simply things. People want a new buzz word to blame. You already have a video on seed oils that is the same issue. Julia has a rant on her show with Jacque about tuna and oil. .and she is right) Her and Jacque would've argued about whether to put white or black pepper in this, though.
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I think it's about people's want (need) to simply things. People want a new buzz word to blame. You already have a video on seed oils that is the same issue. Julia has a rant on her show with Jacque about tuna and oil. .and she is right) Her and Jacque would've argued about whether to put white or black pepper in this, though.
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colinz226
the slight mic peaking at
_THAT'S NOT MODERATE_
is sending me. (1: 15)
to be clear, I think the mic peaking helps express the urgency with which he feels the need to remove the pan from the stove, and the importance of not burning the butter.
Seriously, burnt butter smells like sick (i. e. _puke_ ) to my nose
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the slight mic peaking at
_THAT'S NOT MODERATE_
is sending me. (1: 15)
to be clear, I think the mic peaking helps express the urgency with which he feels the need to remove the pan from the stove, and the importance of not burning the butter.
Seriously, burnt butter smells like sick (i. e. _puke_ ) to my nose
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aaronb1195
Adam, as long as we're slaying popular health myths from the 90s, you should also talk about the negative correlation between consumption of full-fat dairy products and weight gain/type II diabetes. If enough people start to understand, maybe, one day, I'll be able to get a non nonfat yogurt at a crappy hotel breakfast.
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Adam, as long as we're slaying popular health myths from the 90s, you should also talk about the negative correlation between consumption of full-fat dairy products and weight gain/type II diabetes. If enough people start to understand, maybe, one day, I'll be able to get a non nonfat yogurt at a crappy hotel breakfast.
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karlinchina
I read an article a while back stating that nutrition scientists are still baffled by the ice cream paradox. Usually all of the bad foods show some correlation with negative health outcomes, except for ice cream. Now some think that dairy fat in general is good or at least not as bad as other sources of saturated fat.
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I read an article a while back stating that nutrition scientists are still baffled by the ice cream paradox. Usually all of the bad foods show some correlation with negative health outcomes, except for ice cream. Now some think that dairy fat in general is good or at least not as bad as other sources of saturated fat.
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chelseet11
A tablespoon of heavy cream actually has 50 cals, not 25!
The benefit of olive oil instead of cream is that it’s much lower in saturated fat! As I understand, it saturated fats are the bad fats. And the fats in olive oil are the good fats. However, can you (or someone in the comments) correct me if I’m wrong
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A tablespoon of heavy cream actually has 50 cals, not 25!
The benefit of olive oil instead of cream is that it’s much lower in saturated fat! As I understand, it saturated fats are the bad fats. And the fats in olive oil are the good fats. However, can you (or someone in the comments) correct me if I’m wrong
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TheOriginalFaxon
6; 31 i think i came a bit. that crunch unnnnnfffff i need it in my mouth. you just reminded me i have 2. 75lb bone in skin on chicken thighs in the frige for my smoker tmrw, maybe i'll dry brine the skin now instead of being a lazy ass and doing it 40m before the chicken goes in the smoker lmao.
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6; 31 i think i came a bit. that crunch unnnnnfffff i need it in my mouth. you just reminded me i have 2. 75lb bone in skin on chicken thighs in the frige for my smoker tmrw, maybe i'll dry brine the skin now instead of being a lazy ass and doing it 40m before the chicken goes in the smoker lmao.
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chemlearner2721
I don't give a fCK if people say any of these oils have too many calories, back when I was smoking crack and mainlining heroin in a French Canadians greasy bathtub it made me feel like heaven and then watch the door because I thought the cops were after me. Delicious. Don't be a pssy!
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I don't give a fCK if people say any of these oils have too many calories, back when I was smoking crack and mainlining heroin in a French Canadians greasy bathtub it made me feel like heaven and then watch the door because I thought the cops were after me. Delicious. Don't be a pssy!
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simonc586
Made this for lunch with a cross between a Veloute and Venetian sauce with finely chopped tarragon and parsley. Minus the white wine as I hate the stuff so deglazing with stock. Quite delicious, good enough that a 88 year Old English man that's very meat and two veg almost cleared his plate.
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Made this for lunch with a cross between a Veloute and Venetian sauce with finely chopped tarragon and parsley. Minus the white wine as I hate the stuff so deglazing with stock. Quite delicious, good enough that a 88 year Old English man that's very meat and two veg almost cleared his plate.
reply
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