Lunch: Bresse Chicken in Yellow Wine

Ingredients

2 pounds all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

Instructions

Special equipment: 1 large clay potFor the pastry: Mix the flour with 14 ounces warm water. Dust a surface with flour and then knead and roll the dough to 3 1/4-foot-by-7 3/4-inch rectangle. Reserve for a later use. For the chicken: Preheat the oven to 575 degrees F. Heat a saucepan to medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, and then add the onions, 2 of the thyme sprigs, 1 of the dried bay leaves, the bacon and some salt and pepper. Cook until the onions are all broken down and softened, 20 minutes. Meanwhile, slice the potatoes into 1/8-inch slices, then season with 2 generous pinches of salt and pepper, and mix well. Place the sauteed onions into the clay pot, followed by the potatoes, then the whole chicken, breast-side up. Sprinkle the chicken with more salt and pepper. Pour the chicken stock over the chicken, then add the remaining dried bay leaf and 2 thyme sprigs. Close the lid, and then seal the cracks with the dough so that the heat cannot escape. Place the pot in the oven and cook for 10 minutes. Then cover the dough with foil so it doesn't burn. Reduce the heat to 480 degrees F and cook for another 35 minutes. Crack the crisp dough to open the lid. Remove the chicken from the pot, and then strain the liquid into a saucepan and cook on high heat for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, remove the chicken breasts from the bone and slice each breast into 3 pieces. Remove the legs from the body. Add the butter to the pan set over medium heat, and whisk until it melts. Then add the wine and cook for another minute. Distribute the potatoes onto 4 serving plates and place the chicken pieces on top, and then drizzle with the sauce. Garnish each plate with a fresh bay leaf and serve.