french food friday...Garlic Chicken with Herbes de Provence

 

photo and recipe from here

Bonjour mes belles,

This weeks recipe features herbes de provence which are a firm favourite of mine and I am slowing working my way through the sack of herbes de provence that I bought when I was last in Provence.

Note for those of you that already have the herbs already mixed you can substitute the bay leaves, rosmary and thyme with a couple of tablespoons of your mixed variety.

Garlic Chicken with Herbes de Provence

Preparation time:

10 minutes, plus 1 hour marinating

Cooking time:

205 minutes

Total time:

4 hours 35 minutes 

Serves:

 6

Ingredients

• 15g pack fresh tarragon, chopped
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ½ bulb of garlic cloves
• 6 Waitrose Fresh Organic British Free Range Chicken Legs
• 2 tbsp dry white wine
• 6 bay leaves
• 15g pack fresh rosemary
• 15g pack fresh thyme
• 300ml chicken stock

Method

1. In a pestle and mortar, pound the tarragon with ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 1 tablespoon oil and 3 cloves garlic into a paste.
2. Make a little pocket under the skin at the top of each chicken thigh and stuff 1 teaspoon of the tarragon mixture into it. Spread the rest over the legs.
3. Place the chicken pieces in a plastic food bag with the wine and remaining garlic, thickly sliced, and expel as much air from the bag as possible. Marinate in the fridge for about an hour. Then remove the chicken and pat dry on kitchen paper. Strain the marinade and reserve the garlic, but discard the wine. Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4.
4. In a large flameproof casserole, heat the remaining olive oil over a medium-high heat and fry the chicken legs skin-side down in 2 batches until the skin is golden brown. Remove and set aside.
5. Allow the pan to cool down, then place the herbs and reserved garlic in the casserole. Add the chicken pieces, skin-side up, then pour in the stock.
6. Cover with greaseproof paper. Place in the oven, then immediately turn the temperature down to 140°C, gas mark 1. Cook for 1 hour 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and there is no pink meat. Serve the casserole, minus the herb sprigs, with the mixed bean and rocket salad.

....bon appetit à tous, Leeann x