Chicken Provençal
The appeal of fresh tomatoes and the irresistible aroma of garlic, olive oil, and parsley make this dish glorious. Poulet à la Provençale is an easy recipe but it’s always a hit.
Yield: 4
Time: 40 min.
Ingredients:
Chicken:
- 1 frying chicken, about 3 lbs (1,3 kg), cut into serving pieces
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- flour to coat chicken pieces
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) dry white wine
- 1 1/2 lbs (675 g) tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup (70 g) black olives
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano or 1 tsp fresh oregano leaves
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme or a twig of fresh thyme
Persillade:
- 1/2 cup (14 g) flat-leaf parsley
- 2-3 garlic cloves
- salt and pepper to taste
- extra virgin olive oil
- white vinegar or lemon juice or to taste
Preparation:
Prepare the Persillade first: Chop parsley and garlic finely. Mix them together. This can be done by hand or with an electric chopper. Add white vinegar or lemon juice over it and taste for salt and pepper. Add olive oil and mix it well until it forms a smooth paste.
Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Coat them with flour shaking off any excess. Warm olive oil over medium heat and sauté the chicken pieces (except the breast pieces) until they are golden on all sides, about 10 minutes. Add the breast pieces and sauté for 10 minutes longer.
Transfer the chicken pieces to a platter and keep it warm (foil or oven). Add the onions to the pan, sauté until golden, and pour in the wine, scraping up the bits with a wooden spoon. Raise the heat and continue stirring until all brown bits have dissolved into the wine. Add the tomatoes and salt to taste. Cook over high heat, stirring continuously until excess liquid has evaporated.
Add the chicken pieces, Persillade, and black olives to the pot. Coat it all well with the sauce. Warm it up gently, do not let it boil. The fragrance of the Persillade will announce the beginning of a great meal.
Put the chicken pieces in a serving dish and sprinkle it with fresh Oregano leaves (optional). In the Provence, this dish would be accompanied by crusty bread and a good glass of wine.
