Chicken Provencal

Chicken Provencal, a name that evokes sophistication and an epicentre of French cooking.

Summer holidays in the South of the country, sun beating down as you sit outside a cafe, perhaps under the shade of the local communal broadleaf which just so happens to conveniently sit outside Messr [fill in the appropriate Patron's name from your favourite holiday] establishment.  The broadleaf is also home to the local gossipers, mainly men, who spend their time watching the tourists, making some of them paranoid with the gestures and toothless smiles and their rapid exchanges.

Perhaps the street is one sided and across the road you see greenery marching towards the sea.  The breeze brings the scent of wild thyme and you smile as the combination of the lunch time heat and the distant aromas mingle with the gossiper's French tobacco and their voices wrap you up in the moment.

The Patron comes out with your wine and asks if you are ready to order and your eyes are drawn to the number of dishes of the area.  But the one that always endears me is the chicken dishes.  When I want to evoke Summer and warmth, this is the dish that always comes to mind.

In the South of France, different families and villages will all have a slightly different take on this dish.  There is always lots of garlic and herbs and of course tomatoes and olives.  What may be different is how "wet" the resulting stew is.  Some will add courgettes and sweet peppers so that the sauce is more of a rattatouille.  This dish can be cooked quite quickly (in just an hour or so) but one of my friends introduced me to cooking it slowly in a low to medium oven for an hour and a half in total.  Yes, it can be a little overcooked, but the flavours are sublime and if leftovers (if there are any) are frozen, are great quick supper with mashed potatoes or pasta.

My suggestion for quantities are to accompany one kilo of chicken thighs (skin and bones are not removed but you can if you prefer):

• three large cloves of garlic - chopped roughly
• two medium sized onions - halved and sliced thinly
• six anchovy fillets - in oil, chopped finely
• one kilo of fresh tomatoes - chopped roughly
• 1 250 ml glass of - red wine
• a mixture of thyme, rosemary and oregano - the quantities are up to you but if this is the first time you've tried this dish - try two heaped dessert spoons for early in the cooking and a further dessert spoon for near to the end - finely chopped
• green or black pitted olives - a mixture is good, traditionally black only
• two teaspoons of capers

Suggestion:

If you want a "drier" sauce, cut down amount of tomatoes rather than the wine.

Method:

On a medium heat on the top of your cooker, use a heavy based deep oven dish with a lid, such as le creuset, and warm through a generous measure of good olive oil.  Before it gets hot, place the chicken thighs skin down and a further amount of oil on top.  Add the onion, garlic and herbs at this stage.  They will start to steam whilst on top of the chicken. 

Wait until you hear the cackle of the oil before you turn the chicken over and stir thoroughly. Leave for a further five minutes, and reduce the heat to low and then add two dessert spoons of plain flour - it will help later on to thicken the dish.  If you are hesitant of something burning - then the flour can be added later as a paste.

Add the chopped anchovies next and wait until these have amalgamated a little before adding the tomatoes.  The heat should be enough for the tomatoes to heat sufficiently to just below a simmer.  Then add the wine and olives.  Stir thoroughly again and cover. 

Place in a pre-heated oven at 175 degrees C for 40 minutes.  Check on it after 30 minutes if you are cooking it dry to see if you need to add more liquid.  At the 40 minute mark, add the capers and some more mixed herbs if the mood takes you and place back in the oven covered for a further 20 minutes or so.

Let the dish cool down and serve with mini roast potatoes, tossed in butter and a green salad or leave to cool completely and eat the following day.