CHICKEN SAUTE PROVENCE STYLE
serves four to six (but it is so good count on seconds, so maybe it will just serve four gourmands)
This is a recipe that is better cooked in a slow, lingering manner. Put Edith Piaf on the CD player or perhaps Charles Aznavour and start slowly browning your chicken. I highly recommend this chicken recipe for Friday Night Suppers with Friends.
RECIPE
1 3 lb (1.5k) chicken cut into 8 pieces or so. Or, what is really better 10 or 12 pieces of chicken legs or thighs. The brown meat loves slow cooking.
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tbsp. olive oil ( or more if necessary)
1 large onion coarsely chopped
4 large cloves of garlic, chopped
Bouquet garni – fresh thyme, bay leaves, sage,rosemary tied together with a string works well. ( or dried Herbs de Provence if you haven’t access to fresh herbs)
A really, really good splash of white, rose or red wine
A generous cup of tomatoes and sauce from a can of whole peeled tomatoes. (Try and use canned tomatoes from Italy. They have a true, rich tomato flavour)
A dozen or so of salt cured black olives, lightly crushed. Kalamata olives work well here, too.
A small handful of fresh parley or herbs to finish (finely chopped)
Pat your chicken pieces dry and rub all over with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a very large, heavy based pan or flameproof casserole. Brown the chicken well. You will have to a few pieces at a time. Another reason to start early in the afternoon. You don’t want to hurry your chicken pieces.
When all your batches of chicken are a delicious golden brown transfer them to a plate and set aside. Drain most of the oil/fat off and discard. Leave just enough oil to saute your onions until translucent. While the onions are cooking sprinkle with a little salt and add the chopped garlic. Saute the garlic for just a minute or so. Now pour in the wine, and pour yourself a glass, and add the bouquet garni, scraping up the sediment as the wine reduces by half.
Add the generous cup of tomatoes, smooshing down the whole tomatoes so they become one with the sauce. Cook over high heat for 2-3 minutes , stirring. Return the chicken to the pan and reduce the heat to low medium , cover and cook for 30 minutes or more (could be an hour if you are cooking very slowly) In the last ten minutes of cooking add the crushed olives. The chicken should almost fall from the bone and the sauce reduced to a wonderful essence of Provence. Remove the bouquet garni and discard.
To serve scatter the fresh parsley or herbs over the chicken.
| CHICKEN SAUTE PROVENCE STYLE ... THE CHICKEN YOU'LL EAT ON YOUR WEEK-END IN PROVENCE | Print |
- 1 3 lb (1.5k) chicken cut into 8 pieces or so. Or, what is really better 10 or 12 pieces of chicken legs or thighs. The brown meat loves slow cooking.
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tbsp. olive oil ( or more if necessary)
- 1 large onion coarsely chopped
- 4 large cloves of garlic, chopped
- Bouquet garni - fresh thyme, bay leaves, sage,rosemary tied together with a string works well. ( or dried Herbs de Provence if you haven't access to fresh herbs)
- A really, really good splash of white, rose or red wine
- A generous cup of tomatoes and sauce from a can of whole peeled tomatoes. (Try and use canned tomatoes from Italy. They have a true, rich tomato flavour)
- A dozen or so of salt cured black olives, lightly crushed. Kalamata olives work well here, too.
- A small handful of fresh parley or herbs to finish (finely chopped)
- Pat your chicken pieces dry and rub all over with salt and pepper.
- Heat the oil in a very large, heavy based pan or flameproof casserole. Brown the chicken well. You will have to a few pieces at a time. Another reason to start early in the afternoon. You don't want to hurry your chicken pieces.
- When all your batches of chicken are a delicious golden brown transfer them to a plate and set aside. Drain most of the oil/fat off and discard.
- Leave just enough oil to saute your onions until translucent.
- While the onions are cooking sprinkle with a little salt and add the chopped garlic. Saute the garlic for just a minute or so.
- Now pour in the wine, and pour yourself a glass, and add the bouquet garni, scraping up the sediment as the wine reduces by half.
- Add the generous cup of tomatoes, smooshing down the whole tomatoes so they become one with the sauce. Cook over high heat for 2-3 minutes , stirring.
- Return the chicken to the pan and reduce the heat to low medium , cover and cook for 30 minutes or more (could be an hour if you are cooking very slowly)
- In the last ten minutes of cooking add the crushed olives. The chicken should almost fall from the bone and the sauce reduced to a wonderful essence of Provence.
- Remove the bouquet garni and discard.
BON APPETIT
Oh my! This looks and sounds so delicious. I can taste it already.
Laurel jut put on a little Edith Piaf and start cooking. This is the kind of dish that you can make early in the day and it tastes even better when you reheat it. Bon Appetit! Virginial