1 In a large casserole, place your hen, your carrots, your spring onions, your tea infuser and the offal of your bird (neck, tip of the wings, cleaned gizzard).
2 Cover with cold water 3 cm above your bird, salt then turn on the heat.
3 Gradually remove the impurities that rise to the surface (skim), gentle cooking for 40 minutes.
4 Meanwhile in a saucepan prepare your roux: melt the butter, add the flour stir over low heat let cook 5 minutes then let cool.
5 Still during this time bring your cream and your sliced shallot to the boil, salt and pepper then add the 7 oz (200 g) of mushroom quarters, cook 7 minutes, cover and keep aside.
6 Remove your bird, take off the skin then wrap it in foil or a white cloth and place it on a shallow dish.
7 Strain your cooking liquid keeping the carrots and onions.
8 Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) (mark 6).
9 In a small casserole suitable for the oven, pour your butter and the sliced onion, when the mixture turns golden add your rice, when it becomes translucent moisten with 1.7 cups (40 cl) of your chicken broth. Bring to the boil cover and put in the oven for 20 minutes.
10 Prepare your sauce: put your saucepan with your roux on the heat then gradually add 3.4 cups (80 cl) of broth while stirring, when the liaison is done pour in the saffron white wine or season with the powder or turmeric, adjust the seasoning and keep aside.
11 Cut your bird into 8 pieces (the thighs cut in 2, the breasts and wings) then place it in your sauce with your creamed button mushrooms and your cooked spring onions.
12 Remove your rice and let it sit covered for 10 minutes, add your carrots cooked into tiny cubes then after this resting time fluff your rice with a fork adding a few cubes of butter.
13 Serve on a plate as I did or on a large shallow dish with the rice on the side.
Racan hen:
A variety we love to cook: this hen from the Racan region in Touraine is raised of course on grain and in the open air, and stays that way for an average of 180 days. Its meat is firm, white and its taste is close to that of guinea fowl. Of course it is an exceptional bird but nothing prevents you from preparing this recipe using your usual farm hens.
November-December, when the cold pushes you toward longer cooking and you still find capons at the butcher. Button mushrooms come back into season, cream thickens better in the cold. It's the time when you miss summer but when the table organizes itself around hot plates that linger for 2 hours without deteriorating.
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