Whole chicken poached gently, served in a cream sauce with dried morel mushrooms and Madeira — the Lyonnaise classic Paul Bocuse made world-famous.
⭐Inspired by Paul Bocuse · 🇫🇷 FranceThis dish is inspired by one of Chef Paul Bocuse's defining preparations — Bresse chicken with morels. Bocuse, the 'pope of French gastronomy,' held three Michelin stars at L'Auberge du Pont de Collonges for 55 consecutive years and was the most public champion of the nouvelle cuisine movement. This recipe takes the classical Lyonnaise tradition — chicken poached whole, finished in a Madeira-cream sauce with morels — and presents it for the home cook. Use the best chicken you can afford; the simpler the dish, the more the bird matters.
Serves 4
Soak the dried morels in 200ml warm water for 30 minutes. Lift out, halve any large ones, rinse briefly, and squeeze dry. Strain and reserve the soaking liquid.
Place the chicken in a stockpot with the leek, carrot, clove-studded onion and bouquet garni. Cover with cold water (about 2.5L). Bring to a gentle simmer — never a boil — and poach for 50–60 minutes until a thigh registers 74°C. Skim regularly. Lift out the chicken and cover loosely. Reserve 500ml of the cooking liquid.
In a wide pan, melt the butter and sweat the shallots for 4 minutes. Add the morels and cook 2 minutes. Pour in the Madeira and reduce by half. Add the strained morel soaking liquid and 250ml of the chicken poaching liquid. Reduce by half.
Add the cream and simmer 5 minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Off the heat, whisk together the egg yolks with 2 tablespoons of the warm sauce, then slowly stir back into the pan. The sauce should thicken to a glossy, silky consistency. Season with salt, white pepper and lemon juice. Do NOT let it boil after adding the yolks.
Remove the chicken skin if you like. Carve into legs, thighs and breasts. Arrange on warm plates and ladle the morel cream sauce over the top. Serve with rice pilaf or buttered tagliatelle.
A genuine Bresse chicken (with the AOC blue label) makes a real difference — it's worth the splurge.
Never boil the chicken — gentle poaching keeps the flesh tender and the broth clear.
Don't let the sauce boil after adding the egg yolks or it will curdle.
Volaille au Vin Jaune: substitute Jura vin jaune for the Madeira — the Eastern French regional version.
Chicken Vol-au-Vent: serve the morels in cream over puff pastry shells without poaching the chicken — quick weeknight version.
Eat the day it's made. Leftover poached chicken meat is excellent in salads or sandwiches.
Bresse chicken — the only poultry in the world with an AOC (controlled origin) designation — has been the most prized chicken in France since at least the 16th century. Paul Bocuse held three Michelin stars at his Lyon restaurant for a record 55 years and championed Lyonnaise classics like this throughout his career.
Bresse chicken (Poulet de Bresse) is the only chicken in the world with an AOC (controlled origin) designation. Raised in the Bresse region of eastern France, it is fed corn and dairy, slaughtered later than commercial birds, and recognised by its blue feet, white feathers and red comb — the colours of the French flag.
Yes — but morels have a distinctive woodsy intensity that fresh mushrooms can't replicate. Dried porcini are the best substitute. Avoid button mushrooms, which are too mild.
55 years — from 1965 until his death in 2018. L'Auberge du Pont de Collonges was demoted to two stars in 2020, two years after his passing. The 55-year run remains the longest unbroken three-star streak in Michelin history.
A traditional Bocuse preparation — chicken stuffed and cooked inside a sealed pig's bladder, which holds in all the juices and aromatics. Once a signature of Lyonnaise haute cuisine; rarely seen now due to the difficulty of sourcing bladders.
A white Burgundy — Meursault or Puligny-Montrachet — is the textbook pairing. The mushroom and cream call for a wine with body and oak. A Chablis premier cru is a more austere alternative.
Per serving (380g / 13.4 oz) · 4 servings total
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