Chicken Provençal Recipe
Golden chicken simmered with ripe tomatoes, black olives, wine, and herbs, with a fresh garlic-parsley persillade. A generous French pan-cooked dinner with a sauce made to go along with rice, potatoes, or crusty bread.
Equipment
- heavy-bottomed pan
- Instant-read thermometer
Ingredients
- 4 lb chicken thighs or a combination of drumsticks and wings. Skin–on, bone–in.
- 2 teaspoon ground black pepper mix with coarse salt
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 4 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion sliced.
- 3⅓ oz white or rosé wine or the same amount of chicken stock.
- 1 fresh sprig of oregano and marjoram each, and 1 bay leaf tied in a herb bag. Optional: Add the basil to the bag too.
- a small handful of basil. ( I like to add loose to the sauce.)
- 12⅓ oz ripe tomatoes peeled and chopped.
- 2 tablespoon tomato purée
- 12 pitted black olives lightly crushed.
- ½ teaspoon salt add more if needed after tasting.
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Persillade
- 4 garlic cloves finely chopped.
- 1 handful fresh parsley finely chopped
Alternative to both tomato ingredients: 2 cups of French tomato mother sauce. Use instead of the tomatoes and tomato purée, not in addition to them. Easy homemade French tomato mother sauce.
Instructions
- Slice 1 large onion, peel and chop the 12⅓ oz ripe tomatoes, and lightly crush the 12 pitted black olives. Tie 1 fresh sprig of oregano and marjoram each, and 1 bay leaf together or place in a small cooking sachet. Add a small handful of basil.
- Pat 4 lb chicken thighs dry, and season all over with 2 tsp ground black pepper and 1 tsp coarse salt, mixed. Heat the 4 tbsp olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan or flameproof casserole over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken for about 10 minutes on all sides. Work in batches if necessary so the pieces brown rather than steam.
- Transfer the browned chicken to a plate while you build the sauce. (It is not necessarily cooked through at this stage.)
- Add the sliced onion to the same pan with more oil if needed and fry for about 1 minute, stirring often. Pour in the 3⅓ oz white or rosé wine or stock and add the herbs. Scrape up the browned bits and let the liquid reduce by about half.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, 2 tbsp tomato purée, and olives. (Alternatively, use the 2 cups of prepared French tomato mother sauce instead of both tomato ingredients.) Cook for 3-5 minutes over medium heat, stirring, until the sauce starts to come together.
- Return the chicken and its collected juices to the pan. Cover, lower the heat to maintain a steady simmer, and begin checking the chicken for doneness after 8-10 minutes. Continue cooking as needed until every piece reaches at least 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part, away from the bone; larger pieces may need longer.
- Mix the finely chopped 4 garlic cloves and 1 handful fresh parsley to make the persillade. For a milder garlic flavor, stir it into the sauce during the final few minutes of cooking; for a stronger garlic flavour, scatter it over the cooked chicken just before serving. (I love the persillade sprinkled on the dish just before serving, but some family members find it too strong. So simply adding it for a few minutes in the sauce while it is cooking is delicious too)
- Remove and discard the herb bag. Taste the sauce before adding more salt and pepper, then serve the chicken hot with plenty of tomato-and-olive sauce.
Notes
- Use a pan suitable for acidic tomato sauce, such as stainless steel or enameled cast iron.
- Lightly crush the olives to release their flavor; taste before adding more salt.
- If using the 2 cups of French tomato mother sauce instead of both fresh tomatoes and tomato purée, it will change the seasoning, sauce consistency, and nutritional values. Taste and adjust seasoning as you like it and use a little tomato paste to thicken the sauce if needed.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, keep at 40°F (4°C) or below, and use within 3-4 days. Reheat leftovers to 165°F (74°C).
Nutrition
Calories: 1095kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 75gFat: 80gSaturated Fat: 21gPolyunsaturated Fat: 16gMonounsaturated Fat: 34gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 445mgSodium: 1682mgPotassium: 1233mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1437IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 76mgIron: 4mg
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