Provencal Chicken with Pastis (Poulet Au Pastis)
In these chilly winter months (yes, even here on Balboa Island), there is nothing as therapeutic as creating a warm winter dish while enjoying a nice glass of wine (highly recommended)! This traditional French-inspired dish is full of flavor and will warm you up from the inside, out!
INGREDIENTS:
4 chicken breasts, with skin on & bone in (or 6 skinless, boneless)
Sea salt and black pepper (to taste)
Herbs de Provence (or poultry rub from Dean & Deluca)
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup Pastis
2 cans chicken stock/broth
2 cups dry white wine
Juice of 1 lemon
2 lg. shallots, sliced
¼ cup finely chopped fresh fennel
1-2 T. Pastis (or good French) Mustard (I like Maille)
4 cloves garlic, minced
Finish w/some heavy cream or ½ and ½ if desired
Chicken bouillon
1/2 cup coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley
fresh thyme
Tarragon (optional)
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
Optional accompaniments:
2 - 3 vines of sweet burst tomatoes
small potatoes, peeled or unpeeled
carrots, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
green beans (haricot verts)
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Rub chicken all over the salt and pepper (I rubbed mine with lemon pepper and poultry rub from Dean & Deluca).
2. In a Dutch oven or similar heavy pot (I use Le Creuset), add enough olive oil so it covers the bottom of the pan. Over medium-high heat, when the oil is hot, brown the chicken pieces on all sides, turning them only when one side is brown. (Constant turning won't encourage browning as much as letting them stay in one place until browned.) If your pot isn't large enough, fry them in two batches and remove the first chicken pieces to a bowl while you brown the second. You may need to add additional olive oil to the pot while browning or in between batches.
3. Once the chicken is browned, wipe excess oil from the pot. Deglaze pan with about a third of the Pastis, scraping the bottom of the pot with a flat-edged spatula to incorporate any dark bits.
4. Add and sauté shallots, fennel, and garlic, and then add the tomatoes to the pot. Pour in the rest of the pastis, 2 cans (4 cups) of broth, and 2 cups of dry white wine (I used Pinot Grigio). Finally, add the chicken pieces.
5. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for at least 15 minutes, but can slow cook for a few hours.
6. If you choose to serve with the optional vegetables, boil the small, mini potatoes and the carrots in separate pots until just cooked through. Toss with butter and parsley (and a bit of tarragon if desired). You can also bake the burst tomatoes and serve on the the side and add green beans if you choose! It's all up to you!
7. When ready to eat, stir in a bit of heavy cream or half & half, and the teaspoon of sugar. Use a bit of Wondra if you want to thicken it at all.
8. Taste the sauce, and add sugar (if desired) and more salt if it needs it. If you'd like, you could give the sauce a small squeeze of lemon, to add a nice note of acidity to the sauce.
Serving: Makes 4 servings. Serve the chicken warm with potatoes and some of the sauce. If you decide not to cook potatoes with the chicken, you can serve this with pasta, rice, or your favorite grain.
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