I love jerusalem artichokes and you will appreciate them in the bad weather in November. I got them in the Holešovice market from a farmer for a few crowns and their quality was absolutely amazing. This time I got the chicken from my friend Mirek Gregor, who opened a butcher shop with Hungarian specialties in Prague. Hungarian chicken are yellow (corn fed) and cannot be compared to our Czech poultry production. They are a wonderful, fleshy and tasty.
For 4 portions:
4 chicken legs
4 tbsp plain flour
4 tbsp oil
4 tbsp ghee (butter)
salt and pepper
500g jerusalem artichokes
150g fresh shiitake mushrooms
50ml dry sherry
300ml chicken stock
100g butter
200ml whole milk
2 tbsp olive oil
4 tsp truffle oil
a few drops of lemon juice
Divide the artichokes into 2 and 3 fifths. Separate the smaller part in half. Slice one half thinly on mandolin. Fry in hot oil 170 degrees to golden brown, dry immediately and season with salt. Cut the rest of the artichokes into small cubes and fry with shiitake mushrooms together in a little oil until soft. Season with salt.
Melt half of the butter with the olive oil and add 3/5 of coarsely chopped Jerusalem artichokes and slowly cook for about 5 minutes. Season with salt and add the sherry, let the alcohol evaporate and add the chicken stock. Cook until soft, then add milk and cook again. Put in a blender, mix and add the rest of the butter. Blend until smooth. Check consistency and taste. Add a little lemon juice. Finally, drizzle with truffle oil and lightly decorate with something green.
Dry the chicken legs with paper towel, season and sprinkle the skin with flour. Fry in a pan with oil and melted butter on the skin side down to golden brown. Place in a vacuum bag with the fat and vacuum. The ideal temperature is 63 degrees for 2 hours, depending on the size of the thigh. These are quite large, normal thighs should be ready in an hour and half. The temperature is up to you (ideal range is 60-65). For professional cooking, the sous vide technique is great, but due to the structure of the meat, I’d rather bake it (25 minutes at 180 degrees) in home conditions. The result is not exactly the same, but the skin is brilliantly crispy.
Cooking under vacuum will cause the skin to become wet, so it needs to be fried again. Anyway, if you love fried chicken, it’s a great way to avoid undercooking. Let it rest for at least ten minutes. Then pour all the juice into the pan and add a little water, cook and have a simple sauce. Served with the rest of the ingredients. Enjoy your meal!
