IN 16th-century France, the good King Henry IV proclaimed that each family should have a chicken in its pot every Sunday. Even without a royal proclamation, this is still the case in most households in France.

The classic poulet au riz from that earlier period was generally made with a hen that was cooked a long time with rice and sometimes a vegetable. Today, as then, this is an ideal dish for a Sunday family dinner and is equally as good during the week, especially on cool evenings in late spring.

In this version, I use short-grain brown rice, which requires long cooking to achieve that chewy, elastic texture that is so appealing. It can take 30 minutes to an hour for the rice to absorb all of the liquid in the recipe. The 45 minutes indicated here is an average projected cooking time. If you are familiar with a particular brand of brown rice and know that it cooks in less than 45 minutes, cut back a little on the liquid.

Start the chicken along with all the vegetables and the salt in cold water. Wrap the seasonings -- thyme, bay leaves and black peppercorns -- in a small piece of cheesecloth or any plain fabric, and tie securely with string before adding to the pot. This pouch prevents the seasonings from dispersing throughout the stock, which is not strained after cooking.

Two chickens are placed breast side down in a relatively narrow stock pot, snugly side by side with very little space around them so the nine cups of water in the recipe will be enough to cover them.

The technique of keeping the chickens submerged in the water while they cook, boiling them gently for about 20 minutes and leaving them in the hot stock, covered, for an additional length of time creates a very moist, tender chicken.

The chicken is served on top of the rice, which will be soft, chewy and much more moist than conventional rice. The result is earthy, savory and relatively low in calories, especially if the skin of the chicken is removed and most of the fat from the stock is skimmed off.

This menu begins with a coleslaw that contains cabbage, carrots, mayonnaise, vinegar and a dash of curry to give it a tang. It is an invigorating dish, and the perfect beginning to this meal.

For dessert, try seasonal fruit like strawberries, melon or early plums. Check the supermarket for the best quality and prices.

A chardonnay from Washington State goes well with this menu. Some, like Latah Creek, are very spicy, polished and well priced.

Curry Coleslaw Total time: 10 to 15 minutes 1 small cabbage or 1/2 large cabbage head (1 3/4 pounds) 2 carrots (6 ounces), peeled 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup cider vinegar 2 tablespoons sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons poppy seeds 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder.



Yield: 6 servings.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 200 calories, 15 grams fat, 11 milligrams cholesterol, 675 milligrams sodium, 2 grams protein, 15 grams carbohydrate. Poached Poulet With Brown Rice Total time: 2 hours 2 chickens (about 3 pounds each, minus neck and gizzard) 2 large onions (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces (4 1/2 cups) 3 carrots (8 ounces), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces (2 cups) 2 ribs celery (4 ounces), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces (1 1/2 cups) 3 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon dried thyme 4 bay leaves 2 teaspoons black peppercorns 1 1/4 cups brown short-grain rice.

1. Place the chickens breast side down and side by side in a pot just large enough to hold them snugly. Add the onions, carrots, celery, 2 teaspoons salt and 9 cups of cold tap water.

2. Wrap the thyme, bay leaves and peppercorns together in a small piece of cheesecloth and tie the ends of the package together securely with string. Add the pouch to the pot containing the chickens.

3. Place an overturned ovenproof dinner plate (a little smaller than the cooking pot) on top of the chickens to hold them under the water. Bring the mixture to a boil (it should take 12 to 15 minutes), reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and boil the chickens gently for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the chickens remain in the pot, covered, to continue cooking in the residual heat of the stock for 30 to 45 minutes.

4. Remove the chickens from the stock and place them on a platter. You should have about 12 cups of stock and vegetables remaining. Using a ladle, skim and discard as much or as little of the fat from the surface of the liquid as you like. Set aside 2 cups of the stock and vegetables and leave the remaining 10 cups in the cooking pot.

5. When the chickens are cold enough to handle, remove their skins and separate each chicken into four pieces. Leave on the bones or pull the meat in large chunks from the bones. Place the chicken in a gratin dish and cover it with 2 cups of the reserved stock and vegetables. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside until ready to reheat, or cover with foil and keep warm in a 130-degree oven until the rice is prepared.

6. For the rice: Combine the rice, a teaspoon of salt and the remaining 10 cups of stock and vegetables together in the pot used to cook the chickens. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. When the liquid is boiling, reduce the heat to medium or low, cover with a lid and boil gently for 45 minutes, until the rice is cooked but the mixture is still slightly runny.

7. Serve the rice with pieces of the chicken on top and about 2 tablespoons of rice cooking liquid spooned over each serving.

Yield: 6 servings.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 515 calories, 15 grams fat, 140 milligrams cholesterol, 1225 milligrams sodium, 50 grams protein, 40 grams carbohydrate. A Leftover Twist

For an additional meal, remove any leftover chicken from the bones, cut it into pieces, combine it with the rice, and cook it in a large stainless steel skillet over medium to high heat for 20 minutes, or until a nice crust forms on the bottom. Invert the skillet onto a plate, remove the chicken-and-rice mixture and cut it into wedges. Serve with a few drops of Tabasco sauce sprinkled on top, if desired.