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The main dish, Regional

Stuffed poule au pot with vegetables

Stuffed poule au pot is a traditional French braised dish for 6 people, a hen filled with a sausage meat stuffing and simmered in vegetable broth. It takes 55 minutes of active work, is fully made the day before, at a medium difficulty and a cost of €5.00 per person. The key to success is a broth that simmers gently without boiling and a stuffing that stays loose, not packed.

Sunday's stuffed poule au pot, with its golden broth and old fashioned vegetables, for a table that feels like grandma's kitchen.

Stuffed poule au pot with vegetables
For
6 people
Work
55 min
Total time
4 h
Prep
Prepared the day before
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€5.00
Calories per person
680 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach

Stuffed poule au pot is the dish that brings everyone around a pot that has simmered for hours. The hen turns tender, the sausage meat stuffing stays moist and fragrant with parsley, and the golden broth carries the flavor of the vegetables, celery, and bouquet garni. The carrots, leeks, and turnips cook just enough to keep a little bite.

This is a dish for Sunday family lunches, holiday gatherings, or a winter dinner when you want old fashioned flavors on the table. Since everything is made the day before, you get to enjoy your guests instead of watching the stove. Serve the broth first with a few noodles, then the hen and its vegetables, and finish simply, with an apple tart or a good cheese.

The schedule

What happens when, so you can be with your guests instead of in the kitchen.

  1. The day before 3 steps, 2 h 30
  2. The same day 1 step
  3. Before the guests arrive 1 step, 35 min
  4. When it's time to serve 1 step

The day before, you stuff the hen, simmer it for two and a half hours in its broth, then let it cool and rest in the fridge overnight. That morning, you skim the fat off the broth and peel the vegetables. Just before guests arrive, you cook the vegetables with the reheated hen for 35 minutes, and at serving time, you carve the hen and plate everything with hot broth.

The ingredients

6 people

Butcher

  • Free range hen 2.2 kg
  • Sausage meat 300 g

Bakery

  • Sandwich bread 4 slices

Dairy

  • Milk 10 cl
  • Egg 1

Fruits and vegetables

  • Parsley 1 bunch
  • Garlic 2 cloves
  • Onions 3
  • Carrots 6
  • Leeks 4
  • Turnips 4
  • Celery stalk 2
  • Bouquet garni 1

Pantry

  • Clovesoften in the pantry 3
  • Coarse saltoften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Peppercornsoften in the pantry 1 tsp

Allergens Gluten, Eggs, Lactose, Celery

The recipe, moment by moment

The day beforeWhat's better after resting overnight in the fridge.

  1. Mix the sausage meat, the bread soaked in milk, the egg, the chopped parsley and the garlic, then stuff the hen and close the opening with kitchen string.

    Don't pack the stuffing tight, it expands during cooking and could burst the hen.

  2. Place the hen in a large pot of cold water with the onions studded with cloves, the celery, the bouquet garni, the coarse salt and the peppercorns, and bring gently to a simmer. 2 h 30

    Skim thoroughly during the first twenty minutes to keep the broth clear.

  3. Let the hen cool in its broth, then put everything in the fridge.

    It stays moist cooling in its broth, out of it the meat dries out.

The same dayDuring the day, whenever you get a moment.

  1. Remove the fat that has set on top of the broth and peel the carrots, turnips and leeks.

    Save a little of that fat, a spoonful gives a farmhouse flavor to sautéed potatoes later.

Before the guests arriveThe last hour, right before the doorbell rings.

  1. Cook the vegetables in the reheated broth with the hen, until tender. 35 min

    Add the turnips last, they cook quickly and turn bitter if left too long.

When it's time to serveThe final touches, right in front of your guests.

  1. Carve the hen, slice the stuffing, and serve with the vegetables and a ladle of broth in each bowl.

    Serve coarse salt and mustard on the side, that's the tradition.

Our tips to get it right

  • Choose a free range hen rather than a young chicken, its firmer flesh easily handles the four hour cooking time and gives a much more flavorful broth.
  • If you don't have proper kitchen twine, use plain cotton kitchen string, it holds the stuffing in place without melting into the broth.
  • Strain the broth before reheating the vegetables on serving day, it will be clearer and nicer to serve as a starter.

The variations

  • Swap the sausage meat for poultry sausage meat for a milder stuffing that stays just as moist.
  • For a faster version, use a 1.8kg free range chicken and cut the cooking time to 1 hour 30 minutes, the result is less tender but still good.
  • Add potatoes to the broth with the other vegetables if you want a more complete dish without a side.

What to serve it with

  • Noodles or rice in the broth as a starter
  • Mustard and coarse salt on the table
  • Apple tart for dessert

Storage

Poule au pot keeps 2 to 3 days in the fridge in its broth, in a sealed container. It freezes very well, with the hen and broth kept separate from the cooked vegetables. Reheat gently in the broth over low heat so the meat doesn't dry out.

Questions about this recipe

Can the stuffing be made without egg for someone with an allergy?

Yes, replace the egg with a tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with a little milk, the stuffing still holds together fine during cooking.

How do you know when the hen is cooked through?

Pierce the thigh with a fork, it should go in without resistance and the juices should run clear, that's the sign the hen is ready.

Can this dish be served to more than 6 people?

Yes, add a second smaller hen and increase the vegetables and broth proportionally, the cooking time stays the same.

Why skim the broth at the start of cooking?

The foam holds impurities from the meat, removing it in the first twenty minutes gives you a clear broth instead of a cloudy one.

Can a stuffed poule au pot with vegetables be made ahead?

Yes, it's even recommended. The recipe needs 55 min of work in total, split up like this, the day before, 3 steps, the same day, 1 step, before the guests arrive, 1 step, when it's time to serve, 1 step.

How long does it take to make a stuffed poule au pot with vegetables?

Allow 4 h in total, including resting and cooking time, of which 55 min is actual work. The recipe is rated "medium".

How many calories are in a stuffed poule au pot with vegetables?

About 680 kcal per person, for a recipe meant for 6 people. The calories are calculated by Kiloach, your kilo coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a stuffed poule au pot with vegetables cost?

About €5.00 per person, that's €30.00 for 6 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, eggs, lactose, celery. Remember to ask your guests about their allergies before putting your menu together.

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