 |
***** CODE PUB = PUB_B *****
Chicken Grand-Mere Francine Recipe
Flavors of the USA
Total time: 1hr to 2hr
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Easy
Chef's Note
Chicken grand-mere, a savory fricassee, is a classic in French cuisine in general, but it was a classic in my family too. It was a specialty and a favorite of my Grandmother Francine, the grandmother who cooked at the original Café Boulud outside Lyon, and at no time was it better than at mushroom harvest time. Mushrooms are a typical chicken grand-mere ingredient, but there was nothing typical about the dish when my grandmother would add rose des pres, pink field mushrooms, newly dug potatoes, and new garlic. Fortunately, this dish always seems to be both satisfying and soothing whether you're making it plain, with cultivated cremini or oyster mushrooms and creamer potatoes, or fancy, dressing it up with exotic mushrooms and any of the small fingerling or banana potatoes that many greenmarkets now offer.
Ingredients
For 4 servings
- 1 chicken, 1.5 kg (3 lb.), cut into 8 pieces
- 500 ml (2 cups) unsalted chicken broth
- 12 cipollini onions, peeled
- 4 shallots, peeled
- 4 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 4 cm / 1 1/2" pieces
- 2 celery root (celeriac), peeled and cut into 4 cm / 1 1/2" pieces
- 12 small whiteor oyster mushrooms, cleaned and trimmed
- 2 heads of garlic, the cloves separated but unpeeled
- 60 g (2 oz.) bacon, in small pieces
- 30 g (2 tbsp.) butter
- 3 sprigs of thyme
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and white pepper
Method
- Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 190° C. / 375°F.
- Working over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil in a large ovenproof sauté pan or skillet - choose one with high sides and a cover. Season the chicken pieces all over with salt and pepper, slip them into the pan, and cook until they are well browned on all sides, about 10 to 15 minutes. Take your time - you want a nice, deep color and you want to partially cook the chicken at this point.
- When the chicken is deeply golden, transfer it to a platter and keep it in a warm place while you work on the vegetables.
- Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the cooking fat from the pan. Lower the heat to medium, add the butter, onions, shallots, garlic, and thyme, and cook and stir just until the vegetables start to take on a little color, about 3 minutes. Add the potatoes, celery root, and bacon and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, just to start rendering the bacon fat. Cover the pan and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and return the chicken to the pan. Add the chicken stock, bring to the boil, and slide the pan into the oven.
- Bake, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Spoon everything onto a warm serving platter or into an attractive casserole.
Presentation
- Bring the chicken to the table, with plenty of pieces of crusty baguette to sop up the sauce and spread with the soft, sweet, caramely garlic that is easily squeezed out of its skin.
More recipe ideas
©Copyright MSCOMM 1996 – 2024. Michèle Serre, Éditeur
-
Recipes
-
Products
-
Entertaining
-
Chefs
-
Hints & Tips
-
Glossaries
