A 3-Star Michelin Restaurant's Bizarre Chicken Dish Is Worthy Of Roasting
When you go to a Michelin star restaurant, you expect nothing less than the finest of foods — but sometimes, they can be downright bizarre or eccentric. We're speaking of dishes like raw meat with edible mold at Spain's Mugaritz and edible helium balloons at Chicago's Alinea. Another dish that's worthy of a mention for its strange optics and unique preparation method is poulet en vessie, meaning chicken cooked in a bladder. (Yes, you read that right.)
TikTok user Eric Damier drew attention to this strange culinary wonder on the social media app. In the video, a server at the restaurant Epicure in Paris — which has earned three Michelin stars — cuts a whole Bresse chicken from an inflated bladder, popping it like a balloon. Placed atop a gleaming tray with its own silver chicken legs, the chicken looked bland, without any seasoning, and strangely delicate. Naturally, the internet had a field day with it and roasting commenced.
It's actually a French delicacy
"Thanks, but I think I'll just stick with KFC," one TikTok user commented. "But where's the seasoning?" another user asked. "I swear you can get rich people to eat anything over £1000 with a French name," joked another.
@ericdamier Bresse chicken in a bladder or “Poularde de Bresse en vessieâ€; a prepared chicken is stuffed with foie gras, truffles, and other flavorings, then enclosed in the bladder and poached in chicken broth. 🎥 @kwokchoiwong 📍 France 🇫🇷 🎶 French Cafe Accordion 🪗
Chicken in a bladder might not be the most appetizing dish you've laid your eyes on, but it's actually a celebrated recipe in France and is served by high-end restaurants. Epicure's version is called Poularde de Bresse cuite en vessie, which essentially means Bresse chicken cooked in a bladder. It might look bland and unappetizing, but it's actually quite flavorful. "It's a delicate and signature dish served at Epicure, definitely one of which I am most proud of! There is no cooking without the finest products. I carefully choose all my products from the best French producers and farmers to provide guests with the highest gastronomic experience," chef Eric Frechon said, per Forbes.
Bresse is considered the absolute best type of chicken and the most delicious breed in the world. To make Poularde de Bresse cuite en vessie, the chicken is stuffed into an inside-out pig's bladder and poached in chicken broth. The fillets are served with liver and truffle stuffing, stuffed mushrooms, green asparagus, and crayfish. The legs are sauteéd and served in a soup made with leek, chicken, and potato. The dish serves two and comes with a hefty price tag of around 360 euros when ordered à la carte at Epicure.