Cuts

Poultry — Breakdown & Cuts

Poultry Ballotine Preparation

Also: ballotine, galantine, stuffed leg roulade, boned and stuffed leg

A whole leg or bird boned out, stuffed, and rolled into a self-contained cylinder — the French technique that transforms humble poultry into elegant form.

A ballotine is a whole poultry leg (or occasionally a whole bird) from which all bones have been removed while leaving the skin and meat intact as a single sheet. That sheet is seasoned, spread with a forcemeat or garnish stuffing, rolled tight, and tied or wrapped so it cooks as a neat cylinder that slices cleanly into rounds. The word derives from the French 'balle' (ball or bundle). Unlike a galantine — which is poached cold — a ballotine is typically braised, roasted, or pan-seared and served hot.

In photos

Poultry Ballotine Preparation in its raw whole-cut form on a butcher's board — A ballotine is a whole poultry leg (or occasionally a whole bird) from which all bones have been removed while leaving the skin and meat intact as a single sheet. Identifying traits: Self-basting due to skin wrapped around exterior, Uniform cylindrical shape ensures even cooking and elegant presentation, Stuffing extends yield and adds flavor contrast (herbed, mushroom duxelles, sausage, or truffle).
Poultry Ballotine Preparation in its raw whole-cut form on a butcher's board — A ballotine is a whole poultry leg (or occasionally a whole bird) from which all bones have been removed while leaving the skin and meat intact as a single sheet. Identifying traits: Self-basting due to skin wrapped around exterior, Uniform cylindrical shape ensures even cooking and elegant presentation, Stuffing extends yield and adds flavor contrast (herbed, mushroom duxelles, sausage, or truffle).
Where the poultry ballotine preparation lives on the source. Whole poultry leg (drumstick + thigh as one piece), or entire bird.
Where the poultry ballotine preparation lives on the source. Whole poultry leg (drumstick + thigh as one piece), or entire bird.
Poultry Ballotine Preparation prepared the canonical way — Chicken ballotine with mushroom duxelles. Lay the boned leg skin-side down on a board; pound any thick spots gently to even thickness.
Poultry Ballotine Preparation prepared the canonical way — Chicken ballotine with mushroom duxelles. Lay the boned leg skin-side down on a board; pound any thick spots gently to even thickness.

Where it comes from

Whole poultry leg (drumstick + thigh as one piece), or entire bird. The skin remains attached throughout; the bones are extracted through careful tunneling and scraping along the bone with a boning knife without puncturing the skin.

Self-basting due to skin wrapped around exteriorUniform cylindrical shape ensures even cooking and elegant presentationStuffing extends yield and adds flavor contrast (herbed, mushroom duxelles, sausage, or truffle)Slices into clean cross-section rounds revealing fillingAccommodates hot (braised, roasted) or cold (galantine) preparationsAll-in-one portion — no carving required at service

Best for

Oven roasting at 190–200 °C (375–400 °F)Shallow braising in stock or winePan-searing to crisp skin then finishing in ovenSous vide at 65–68 °C then searedElegant dinner-party plating — sliced into rounds

How to cook it

  1. 1Lay the boned leg skin-side down on a board; pound any thick spots gently to even thickness.
  2. 2Season the meat surface generously with salt, pepper, and aromatics (thyme, garlic, shallot).
  3. 3Spread stuffing (e.g., herbed ricotta, mushroom duxelles, or sausage forcemeat) leaving a 2 cm border on all sides.
  4. 4Roll tightly from the narrower end, keeping skin on the outside, and tie with butcher's twine at 2 cm intervals — or wrap tightly in caul fat or cling film for sous vide.
  5. 5Sear in an oven-safe skillet over high heat until golden on all sides, 5–7 minutes total.
  6. 6Roast at 190 °C to an internal temperature of 74 °C (165 °F) for chicken; rest 10 minutes before slicing.
  7. 7For duck, finish with a flash under the broiler to render and crisp the scored fat cap.
  8. 8Remove twine, slice into 2–3 cm rounds, and serve with pan juices reduced into a jus.

Prep & butchery

  • Use a sharp, narrow boning knife (flexible preferred for working around the ball joint).
  • For a leg ballotine: sever the skin connection at the knuckle end, then scrape the thigh bone clean toward the hip joint and pop the ball joint; repeat down the drumstick.
  • Lay flat skin-side down; trim any large fat pockets but leave the skin fully attached.
  • Chill the boned-out leg 20 minutes before stuffing — cold meat holds shape better during rolling.
  • Do not overfill — a stuffing depth of 1.5–2 cm leaves enough margin to roll without bursting.
  • Tie snugly but not so tight you squeeze out the filling; a loop every 2 cm gives the cylinder stability.

Substitutes

  • Chicken Roulade (Breast)

    Breast rolled without boning a whole leg; leaner, shorter cook time, lower fat — less forgiving of overcooking.

  • Turkey Thigh Ballotine

    Identical technique; larger format — add 15–20 min roasting time and verify internal temp carefully.

  • Galantine

    Same boning and rolling process but the bird is poached cold in stock; better for buffet or charcuterie service.

Related cuts

Appears in

Chicken ballotine with mushroom duxellesDuck leg ballotine with orange and thymeBallotine de volaille à la truffe noireFestive turkey ballotine (holiday roast alternative)Pheasant ballotine with chestnut stuffing

References

  1. 1.Larousse Gastronomique — Éditions Larousse
  2. 2.The Professional Chef, 9th Ed. — The Culinary Institute of America
  3. 3.Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing — Michael Ruhlman & Brian Polcyn
  4. 4.Jacques Pépin: New Complete Techniques — Jacques Pépin

Confidence: high

Notes

Ballotine vs. Galantine

French culinary tradition distinguishes the two by temperature: a ballotine is served hot, a galantine cold. Structurally they are identical — boned bird, stuffed, rolled — but the galantine is poached in a rich aspic-forming stock, then chilled, unmolded, and glazed. In modern bistro cooking the distinction is often blurred, and 'ballotine' is used for both.

Caul Fat Wrapping

When butcher's twine feels fussy, a sheet of caul fat (crépine) can wrap the roll instead. It melts into the skin during roasting, basting the ballotine continuously and eliminating tie marks on the finished slice.