Provencal Braised Chicken Recipes

PROVENCAL BRAISED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Season chicken generously with salt, cayenne and herbs de Provence.
• Place in an oven safe skillet, interspersed with garlic, red pepper and carrot.
• Tuck in the parsly sprigs and pour on stock to almost cover chicken.
• Cover the skillet and braise in the oven until chicken is just cooked through.
• Meanwhile, reduce the vinegar in another saucepan to 2 Tablespoons.
• Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
• Place the skillet on the stove and simmer until vegetables are very soft.
• Remove the parsly and puree the skillet's contents in a blender. ( I used an immersion blender).
• Return sauce to skillet.
• Add the reduced vinegar and tomato paste to the sauce.
• Return the chicken to the pan to reheat gently.
• Serve on a platter with chopped parsly, if desired.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH TOMATOES AND OLIVES (POULET PROVENCAL)

Steps:

• Preheat convection oven to 400°F or regular oven to 425°F with rack in middle.
• Toss together tomatoes, onion, olives, sliced garlic, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence, fennel seeds, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a 13- by 9-inch or other 3-quart shallow baking dish. Push vegetables to sides of dish to make room for chicken.
• Stir together minced garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, remaining teaspoon herbes de Provence, and remaining tablespoon olive oil.
• Remove excess fat from chicken and pat dry, then rub inside and out with seasoning mixture. Tie legs together with string, then put chicken in baking dish.
• Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of a thigh (do not touch bone) registers 170°F, about 1 hour in convection oven; 1 to 1 1/4 hours in regular oven.
• Let chicken stand 10 minutes before carving. Serve with vegetables and pan juices.

ROASTED CHICKEN PROVENçAL

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Put the flour in a shallow pan, and lightly dredge the chicken in it, shaking the pieces to remove excess flour.
• Swirl the oil in a large roasting pan, and place the floured chicken in it. Season the chicken with the herbes de Provence. Arrange the lemon, garlic cloves and shallots around the chicken, then add the vermouth to the pan.
• Put the pan in the oven, and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, then baste it with the pan juices. Continue roasting for another 25 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken is very crisp and the meat cooked through.
• Serve in the pan or on a warmed platter, garnished with the thyme.

PROVENçAL CHICKEN

Steps:

• Prepare a medium heat fire (325°F) in a wood-fired oven or cooker. If using a wood-fired oven, keep a small fire (one small log) going in the far left rear of the oven to maintain the heat throughout the cooking process.
• Combine the bread crumbs, herbes de Provence, the 1 teaspoon salt, and the 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl. Pat the chicken dry, then toss in the bread-crumb mixture, and set aside on a baking sheet.
• Heat the olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet or shallow clay baking dish over medium heat and brown the chicken on all sides. Transfer the chicken to a shallow clay baking dish or ceramic-coated cast-iron cookware. Add the shallots, garlic, prunes, olives, capers, and fennel seeds. Combine the wine and honey plus any reserved orange juice and pour the liquid over the chicken. Add more salt and pepper. Cover tightly with a heavy ovenproof lid or aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 45 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and the mixture is bubbly. Uncover and place the orange wedges, skin side up, around the chicken, then cook for another 15 minutes to caramelize the chicken. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.