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Chef2Chef Recipe Club - Volume 4 Issue 39 - February 20, 2003 Chef2Chef Recipe Club Member Forum: http://forums.chef2chef.net Un/Subscribe: http://chef2chef.net/news/subscribe.htm -------------------------------------------------- Hello Recipe Club, The first recipe today is an incredible all in one pot kind of meal. The resulting leftover broth is an ingredient in the following recipe. It just sounds so good, I can't imagine any leftovers. We'll see, as I'm off to the store for a chicken and some fresh herbs. Enjoy! -------------------------------------------------- Provençal Chicken in the Pot The French would call this dish "Le Plat Unique," because it is a whole meal in one pot. Although its execution is realistic for a twelve-year-old, the results are impressive enough for even your most discriminating guests. And, to top it off, it's incredibly low in fat because the chicken steams atop the garlic, herbs and liquid. Makes 4 to 6+ servings -- depends on what else you're serving and how hungry your guests are. 1 4-pound frying chicken Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Bouquet garni (include thyme, parsley stems, rosemary, marjoram, bay leaf) 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil 40 unpeeled cloves of garlic Bed of fresh herbs for the pot (should include: 1 bay leaf, the leafy top of a whole bunch of celery, a whole bunch of flat-leaf parsley, several sprigs each of marjoram, rosemary, sage and thyme -- and summer savory and lavender greens, if you can find them) 1 cup dry white wine 12 small all-purpose potatoes (about the size of a silver dollar) 12 - 16 small white onions 4 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks 1 pound fresh peas, shelled (or 1 10-ounce package frozen) 2 tablespoons flour and 1 tablespoon water paste to seal the lid Crôutes (below) for serving Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Make a mixture of salt and pepper in a small bowl. Use this to generously season the interior and exterior of a 4-pound fryer. Tie a bouquet garni together with string and put it inside. Pour 1 cup of olive oil into a large (about 9 quarts) Dutch oven with a lid. Add the bed of herbs and all of the garlic. Set the prepared chicken on this bed and turn it over and over in the already perfumed oil. Add the dry white wine. Scatter the vegetables around on top of the bed of herbs. Then with all the oil, wine and aromatics below and the chicken and vegetables on top, put the lid on and seal it "hermetically" with a band of flour and water paste. Bake 1 hour and 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from oven and allow the Dutch oven to sit undisturbed for 15 to 20 minutes. Do not lift the lid! In preparation for serving, put a small serving bowl (for the garlic) and a slotted spoon on the table. A pair of poultry shears is the easiest tool to use for cutting the hot chicken into serving pieces. A sturdy wooden spoon will help you hold the chicken still for cutting without burning your fingers. Carry the Dutch oven to the table and lift off the lid at the moment of serving, and take a deep breath. The aroma is incredible! Serve with toasted slices of bread, which each diner will spread with the incomparable garlic purée. Don't be surprised. The chicken will not be browned. Wine Tip: A Provençal white wine tastes best with this dish… especially a white Châteauneuf-du-Pape. A floral Viognier would also be delicious. Teacher's Tip: When you have eaten all the chicken, vegetables and garlic, you will find yourself with a large pot of herbs and a chickeny, garlicky wine-flavored stock. You can make a wonderful soup the next day (or several days hence) using this as a base. See next recipe. -------------------------------------------------- Recipe Club, Chef Revival will give away 5 Culinary Classic Watches this month. They are built with a three hand movement and date display. The classic features an electro-luminescent backlight and rotating bezel (outer rim rotating numbers) A hardened mineral crystal protects against scratches. The Classic is all business with a polished metal cases & screw-on back water rated to 100'. Register to win one of these cool watches, I have one and wear it every day. http://html.chef2chef.net/goto.php?id=36 -------------------------------------------------- Provençal Herbed Bean and Pasta Soup Remove the herbs and discard them. Pour the wine/olive oil stock into a storage container, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight. When you are ready to make the soup, remove most of the oil that has risen to the top. Also overnight, soak 1 pound of small white beans in enough cold water to cover by 2 inches. The next day, drain the beans and put them back in the pot with enough water to cover by 2 inches, 6 black peppercorns and 1 bay leaf. Bring the beans to a boil and simmer for about 1 hour, until the beans are not quite tender. Drain the beans and reserve the water. Return the beans to the pot and now add the reserved wine/olive oil stock from the chicken to the beans. Also add several fresh sprigs of the same herbs you used in last night's pot, and at least five of the following: 1/2 pound lima beans or fava beans, shelled and peeled 6 potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 3/4-inch chunks 1/2 pound green beans, ends trimmed 5 carrots, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks 5 red onions, peeled and thickly sliced 5 zucchini, cut into 3/4-inch chunks 3 white turnips, cut into 3/4-inch chunks 2 leeks, well washed, dried and sliced Teacher's Tip: The more of the above ingredients you add to your soup, the more delicious it will be. Add 1 teaspoon sea salt and stir the mixture. Bring the soup to a boil and simmer for 40 to 50 minutes more. Some tubular pasta added during the last 15 minutes of cooking will add substance to this second one-dish meal. Serve the soup in large bowls with freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top and crusty bread on the side. -------------------------------------------------- Exclusively Gourmet "The Magazine for a New York Appetite," is a written publication all about the great cuisine of New York City, but with a twist. We give all the insight on latest up and coming trends, present great interviews with top New York chefs and wine experts as well as provide delicious recipes with valuable culinary tips that can be used by all household individuals that no other magazine would publish. We are the only publication that offers our magazine online for you to view. Visit us and enter the world of culinary delight. http://html.chef2chef.net/goto.php?id=314 -------------------------------------------------- Croutes There are several ways to make croutes. Following are two slightly different ways to achieve this crispy end. Method #1 1 baguette or thinly sliced white bread Extra-virgin olive oil Sea salt 1 garlic clove, peeled and cut Preheat the oven to 200 to 250 degrees F. Slice the baguette Melba-toast thin, or cut 2-inch rounds of thinly sliced sandwich bread (there should be at least 2 per person). Generously coat a baking sheet with olive oil. Place the slices in this very slow oven for an hour, or until the toasts are crisp, dry and slightly golden. Rub each crouton briefly with the peeled garlic clove. These can be made the day before and stored in a tight-lidded container, then reheated slightly before serving. Method #2 12 to 16 one-inch thick diagonal slices of French bread 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 garlic clove, peeled and cut Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spread the slices of bread in one layer on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. With a pastry brush, lightly brush both sides of each slice with olive oil. Then turn slices over and bake for another 15 minutes, or until the bread is completely dry and lightly browned. Rub each slice with the cut garlic clove and set aside. |