Some say you can judge a restaurant by its chicken. Park Tavern’s poulet noir is a stand-up example. First mastered at sister restaurant Marlowe, the cheekier version of the chicken by chef Jennifer Puccio looks like it’s about to fly off the pan—as it does off the menu, no doubt due to a brine-marinade flecked with mushrooms and truffle. The Staub vertical roasting pan, a favorite of the chef’s, will also be put to work at The Cavalier, 
the third restaurant from Puccio and owner Anna Weinberg, opening 
at Hotel Zetta in August.

Park Tavern’s Poulet Noir
You’ll need a Staub vertical chicken roaster ($150) from Williams-Sonoma (Union Square).

Serves 1-2

Ingredients:
1 ½ pound Cornish game hen
4 ounces truffle juice
4 cups ice
1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
16 cups water
8 ounces, plus 1 teaspoon, salt
3 cups cremini mushrooms, sliced
3 ounces butter
1/8 cup white truffle oil

1. To brine the hen, combine the truffle juice and ice in a large container. Set aside.

2. Combine the porcini mushrooms, water, and 8 ounces of salt in a pot, and bring to a boil.

3. Remove from the heat, and allow to steep for 20 minutes.

4. Pour over the ice and allow to cool completely.

5. Brine the chicken in this liquid 
for 8 hours. Remove and pat dry.

6. To make the marinade, sauté the cremini mushrooms in the butter with 1 teaspoon of salt over medium heat until tender and most of their liquid has evaporated.

7. Puree in a blender until smooth. Add the truffle oil, and pulse to combine.

8. Rub the brined chicken generously with the marinade.

9. Roast the bird in a vertical roaster at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, or until the juices run clear.

10. Allow to rest before carving.

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