Years ago, Chef Teo Paul and his cousin when to Switzerland with their grandparents, who were well into their 70s and still skiing. They had dinner at a chalet hotel and were served roast chicken with a sauce that Paul immediately recognized as real Swiss chalet sauce. He’s been chasing those flavours ever since.
Roast Hen With Chalet Sauce
Golden roast chicken served over Swiss chard with a rich, savoury chalet sauce inspired by a memorable meal in Switzerland.
Ingredients
Rib Rub
- 3 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp curry power
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
Cure Mix
- ¾ cup packed golden brown sugar
- ½ cup kosher flake salt
Hens
- 2 hens about 700 g each
- 1 tbsp Rib Rub
- 1 tbsp Cure Mix
Hotel Butter
- 450 g unsalted butter cubed at room temperature
- 1 shallot diced
- 1 bunch chopped fresh parsley
- 1½ oz Pernod liqueur
- 1 tsp gochugaru (Korean ground red pepper)
- pinch each salt and freshly ground pepper
Blanched Greens
- 1 bunch Swiss chard stems separated from leaves
- olive oil for drizzling
Rib Sauce
- 2 cups canned whole tomatoes
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 cup white vinegar
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 1 onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic smashed
- 1 tbsp pickled jalapeños
Galangal Glaze
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 small knob galangal finely chopped
- ¾ cup mirin
- ½ cup soy sauce
Chalet Sauce
- ⅓ cup chicken stock
- ⅓ cup Rib Sauce
- ½ tsp Galangal Glaze
- 1 tbsp Hotel Butter
Instructions
Rib Rub
- Combine paprika, curry powder, salt and pepper in small bowl. Store in airtight container for up to 1 month.
Cure Mix
- Use your hands to mix together brown sugar and salt. Store in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Hens
- Cut hens in half and rub them all over with RIb Rub and Cure Mix. Place them in an airtight container and let them marinate in the fridge for up to 4 hours.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Place hens in roasting pan and roast for 55 minutes. Check if they need more time. They should smell amazing, look reddish-golden and be glistening and sizzling—not loud, greasy or smoky but a calm, happy sizzle. If they're not making any noise or don't have juices pooling in the pan, give them another 10 minutes or so. The internal temperature should be 165°F. As soon as the hens come out, transfer them to a plate to rest, uncovered.
Hotel Butter
- Meanwhile, combine butter, shallot, parsley, Pernod, gochugaru, salt and pepper in blender. Blend until smooth. Transfer to an airtight container refrigerate for up 2 months.
Blanched Greens
- Bring 1 cup salted water to a boil in medium pot. Add chard—stems first and leaves on top so stems boil while leaves steam. Blanch for 3 minutes, then use tongs to stir leaves into water to make sure they're cooked through. Cook for another 30 seconds. Drain any remaining water, toss chard with olive oil, cover and set aside.
Rib Sauce
- In large bowl, combine tomatoes, brown sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, onion, garlic and jalapeños. Squeeze tomatoes with your hands to break them up. Whisk together, ensuring sugar is evenly incorporated. (It's going to settle on the bottom and you don't want to lose out on any of it.)
Galagal Glaze
- In medium saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar and 1 tbsp water. Cook until sugar caramelizes to light golden colour. Add chopped galagal and cook briefly, then stir in mirin and soy sauce. Simmer for 3 minutes, then remove from heat. Let cool and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 weeks.
Chalet Sauce
- Set the hen roasting pan over medium heat and deglaze with chicken stock. It should start to simmer and reduce right away. Let it reduce by half. Whisk rib sauce, galangal glaze and hotel butter into simmering sauce. Pour in any juices that have collected under the hens while they've been resting, then bring the sauce up to piping hot.
- To serve, divide greens among four plates. Carve hens and set pieces on top of greens. Pour some chalet sauce over and serve the rest alongside in a gravy boat.
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