Julia Child Poulet Sauté Grand-Mère Recipe

Julia Child Poulet Sauté Grand-Mère (Grandmother’s Chicken) combines Julia’s classic sauté technique from Mastering the Art of French Cooking with the traditional French “Grand-Mère” garniture – bacon lardons, pearl onions, mushrooms, and crispy potatoes.

“Grand-Mère” means grandmother in French, and this dish represents the best of traditional French home cooking. It’s not restaurant food – it’s the kind of rustic, hearty chicken your French grandmother would have made on a Sunday.

What makes it “Grand-Mère”? The classic garniture: bacon lardons, pearl onions, mushrooms, and golden potatoes. This same combination appears in Julia’s “Poulet en Cocotte Bonne Femme” – both names describe traditional French home-style cooking.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Classic French comfort food: Rustic, hearty, and deeply satisfying.
• One-pan flavor: The bacon fat, chicken juices, and vegetables create incredible depth.
• Julia’s technique: Pan-fried chicken pieces with a glossy wine sauce.
• Complete meal: Protein, potatoes, and vegetables all in one dish.
• Impressive but easy: Looks restaurant-quality but uses simple techniques.

Julia Child Poulet Sauté Grand-Mère Ingredients

Based on Julia Child’s sauté technique from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. 1, with traditional Grand-Mère garniture. Serves 4.

For the Chicken:

• 1 (3-3½ lb) chicken, cut into 8 pieces
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 Tb butter
• 1 Tb oil

For the Grand-Mère Garniture:

• 6 oz thick-cut bacon, cut into lardons (1½-inch strips)
• 12-16 pearl onions (or small white onions)
• 8 oz mushrooms, quartered
• 1 lb small potatoes (or large potatoes cut into 1-inch cubes)
• 2 Tb butter (for potatoes)

For the Sauce:

• ½ cup dry white wine
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 Tb minced shallot
• Fresh thyme and bay leaf (or herb bouquet)
• 2 Tb cold butter (to finish)
• Fresh parsley, chopped

How To Make Julia Child Poulet Sauté Grand-Mère

1. Par-cook the Potatoes: Boil potatoes in salted water until just tender (about 10 minutes). Drain and set aside.
2. Render the Bacon: Cut bacon into lardons. Simmer in water for 10 minutes (this removes excess salt), drain, and dry. Brown in a large skillet until crispy. Remove and set aside, leaving fat in pan.
3. Prepare the Pearl Onions: Drop onions in boiling water for 1 minute. Drain, peel, and cut a small cross in the root end. Brown in the bacon fat until golden. Remove and set aside.
4. Brown the Chicken: Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. In the same pan, add butter and oil to the bacon fat. Brown chicken pieces on all sides over medium-high heat (about 10-12 minutes total). Remove and set aside.
5. Sauté the Mushrooms: Add mushrooms to the pan. Sauté until golden brown (about 5 minutes). Remove and set aside.
6. Crisp the Potatoes: Add 2 Tb butter to the pan. Sauté the par-cooked potatoes until golden and crispy on all sides (about 8 minutes). Remove and set aside.
7. Make the Sauce Base: Add shallot to the pan and cook 1 minute. Add wine and scrape up all the browned bits. Add stock and herbs. Bring to a simmer.
8. Braise the Chicken: Return chicken to the pan, skin side up. Add the pearl onions around the chicken. Cover and simmer gently for 20-25 minutes until chicken is cooked through (165°F).
9. Finish the Dish: Remove chicken to a warm platter. Add bacon, mushrooms, and potatoes to the pan to reheat. Remove herbs.
10. Finish the Sauce: Off heat, swirl in the cold butter to create a glossy sauce. Season to taste.
11. Serve: Arrange chicken on platter surrounded by the garniture. Spoon sauce over all. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Recipe Tips

• Blanch the bacon. Julia’s technique: simmer lardons in water for 10 minutes first. This removes excess salt and helps them crisp.
• Don’t crowd the pan. Brown chicken in batches if needed. Crowding steams instead of browns.
• Par-cook the potatoes. Boiling first ensures they’re tender inside, then sautéing makes them crispy outside.
• Peel pearl onions easily. A 1-minute blanch loosens the skins. Cut a cross in the root to ensure even cooking.
• Finish with cold butter. Swirling in cold butter off heat creates a silky, glossy sauce (monter au beurre).

Recipe Variations

Poulet en Cocotte Bonne Femme: Julia’s casserole-roasted version from MAFC. Brown a whole trussed chicken, surround with the garniture, and roast covered at 325°F for about 1 hour.

Without Mushrooms: Traditional Grand-Mère sometimes omits mushrooms. The core elements are bacon, onions, and potatoes.

With Fresh Herbs: Add a sprig of fresh rosemary or tarragon to the sauce for additional flavor.

What To Serve With Poulet Sauté Grand-Mère

This is a complete meal on its own, but you could add:

• Crusty French bread for soaking up the sauce
• A simple green salad with Dijon vinaigrette
• Steamed green beans or haricots verts

Wine: A light red Burgundy or white Côtes du Rhône.

Make-Ahead Tips

The Day Before:

• Cut and blanch bacon lardons
• Peel pearl onions
• Cut and season chicken pieces

Day Of:

• Complete the recipe and serve immediately for best results
• The dish can be kept warm in a 200°F oven for up to 30 minutes

How To Store

Refrigerator: Store in airtight container for up to 3 days.

Freezer: Not recommended – the potatoes don’t freeze well.

Reheat: Gently in a covered pan on the stovetop with a splash of stock.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (1/4 of recipe):

• Calories: 580 kcal
• Protein: 42g
• Total Fat: 32g
• Saturated Fat: 12g
• Carbohydrates: 28g
• Fiber: 3g
• Sugar: 4g
• Sodium: 680mg
• Cholesterol: 145mg

FAQs

Source: Sauté technique from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. 1 by Julia Child, combined with traditional French Grand-Mère garniture

– Claire