Recipe: Coquelet à la crapaudine

Name: Coquelet à la crapaudine
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: Coquelet à la crapaudine for 4 people:; 2 beautiful farm-raised small chickens (if possible) of about 500 g (17.75 oz) each; 500 g (17.75 oz) of firm-fleshed potatoes (Bintje if you can find them) peeled and cut into small dice; 200 g (7 oz) of button mushrooms (or chanterelles or porcini) well cleaned and sliced; 20 cl (0.8 cup) of tomato sauce*; 40 g (1.4 oz) of breadcrumbs; 2 tablespoons of strong mustard; 1 shallot cut in half, thyme, bay leaf; 1 clove of garlic, germ removed and just crushed; butter and oil (or duck fat); salt and ground pepper and pinch of Espelette powder

By chef patrick Asfaux 4.2/5 (6 reviews) · 🍳 13 made it

Prep 20 min

Cook 30 min

Total 50 min

Servings 4 serv.

A simple, original, and tasty recipe that will please the whole family Coquelet à la crapaudine is a flattened whole bird, roasted and coated with mustard and breadcrumbs. Cook for 30 minutes. The garnish of diced potatoes and mushrooms adapts to what you find at the market.

Ingredients for 4 servings

Adjust for

servings

Coquelet à la crapaudine for 4 people:
2 beautiful farm-raised small chickens (if possible) of about 500 g (17.75 oz) each
500 g (17.75 oz) of firm-fleshed potatoes (Bintje if you can find them) peeled and cut into small dice
200 g (7 oz) of button mushrooms (or chanterelles or porcini) well cleaned and sliced
20 cl (0.8 cup) of tomato sauce*
40 g (1.4 oz) of breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons of strong mustard
1 shallot cut in half, thyme, bay leaf
1 clove of garlic, germ removed and just crushed
butter and oil (or duck fat)
salt and ground pepper and pinch of Espelette powder

Step-by-step directions

1 Preheat your oven to 210°C (410°F) (gas mark 7).

2 On your work surface with a large knife, open the small chickens by the back. Then, remove the spine from each side, flatten them and season with salt and ground pepper.

3 Then, place them flat in an oven dish, salt and pepper the top and pour a little oil and place a few knobs of butter. Around them, place your shallot cut in half and some thyme and bay leaf then place your dish in the oven at mid-height. Cook for 30 minutes. After 10 minutes add 10 cl (0.4 cup) of water to the dish. Using a tablespoon, baste your small chickens every 5 minutes with the cooking juices.
After 20 minutes of cooking, remove the dish then using a brush coat them with mustard and sprinkle with breadcrumbs and finish cooking in the oven for the remaining 10 minutes.
While your small chickens are cooking, prepare the garnish:

4 Pour your potatoes cut into small dice into a saucepan then cover with cold water to the level, bring to a boil for 2 minutes then drain them (blanch).

5 In a pan heat oil and a knob of butter (or duck fat) place your potatoes in it and start to brown them, then add your mushrooms, lower your heat and add the clove of garlic just crushed, salt and let cook for about ten minutes then remove from heat by covering your pan.

Chef's tip

Coquelet à la crapaudine is a Sunday or Monday evening dish when you have time to spend. Historically, it comes from Parisian bourgeois cooking, the kind you find in bistros and family tables. By splitting it open at the back and flattening it, you save time and cook the bird more evenly. It works best in spring and autumn, when farm-raised coquelets are well-fed and you can find good mushrooms at the market. Bintje or Charlotte potatoes give the best results, firm and reliable in the pan. For mushrooms, if you find chanterelles or porcini, great; otherwise regular button mushrooms do the job fine. With wine, choose a dry white with some body, a Sancerre, a Chablis premier cru, or even a white Côtes du Jura. Light reds slip right past the mustard and breadcrumb coating. If you prefer red, go for a Beaujolais village, it has more fat to it. For the accompaniment, nothing fancy: sautéed potatoes, mushrooms in the pan, and tomato sauce kicked up with Espelette pepper do the job. You can serve a small green salad after if you want. The whole point is simplicity and the taste of the bird itself.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use mild mustard instead of strong mustard?

Technically yes, but you lose the contrast effect. Strong mustard creates a bold crust under the breadcrumb coating. With mild, the dish becomes flat. Stick with strong mustard, that's the classic trap with this recipe.

How do I store leftovers?

Keep the coquelets 3 days in the fridge in an airtight container. Reheat at 160°C wrapped in foil for 10 minutes. Same for the sautéed potatoes, 3 days max. Don't freeze, the breadcrumb coating gets soggy when thawed.

How do I properly baste the coquelets during cooking?

Use a tablespoon to pour the pan juices over the bird every 5 minutes after the first 10 minutes of cooking. This is what makes the meat tender. If you forget to baste, it dries out. You don't need fancy equipment, a simple spoon does the job.