BALLOTINE
The terms Galantine and Ballotine are often confused. Both are similarly prepared, but they are cooked and served differently. The ballotine is also boneless meat that is stuffed and rolled into a ballot or bundle. Like the galantine, they are also poached, but may also be baked or braised in their skins and served hot as entrees.
The ballotine can be considered the smaller relative of the galantine. It is prepared from a boneless leg of poultry that is stuffed with a forcemeat.
A ballotine may be rolled or sewn in a cushion shape. It is poached or braised to serve hot sauce made from the cooking liquid or presented cold in aspic. Individual ballotines may be made from boned poultry legs, Dodine (Fr-do, meaning Plump) is another word for ballotine, it also refers to a medieval Poultry dish in spice sauce.
It is an excellent method for using the leg portions of poultry when the breast portions have been used for another purpose. The legs of the poultry are removed leaving the skin and meat intact. Forcemeat is stuffed into the pocket that forms when the leg bone is removed. Although it is baked or braised or even roasted, they are usually served cold after coating with chaud – froid and aspic.
