Chicken Provencal
Serves 6 to 8
6 pounds chicken thighs or combined breasts and thighs, trimmed of excess skin and fat
2 tablespoons dried thyme
11/2 tablespoons dried rosemary, crumbled
11/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1/3 cup chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground coarse black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
11/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
1/3 cup capers, drained
1/2 cup white wine or dry vermouth
1/2 cup fine bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Fresh parsley for garnish
In a large bowl combine chicken, thyme, rosemary, salt, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, pepper, oil, mushrooms, sugar, vinegar, olives and capers; toss to blend well. Transfer to a large, resealable plastic bag. (I usually put that into another bag before refrigerating to catch any leaks.) Refrigerate overnight or for at least 12 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour the contents of the plastic bag into a large, flat baking dish (preferably Le Creuset). Arrange the chicken, bone side down, in one layer. Pour the white wine over the chicken and bake for 20 minutes. Mix together bread crumbs and cheese. Sprinkle the crumb mixture evenly over the chicken and put back in the oven to bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until browned and the chicken is cooked. Baste two or three times with the pan juices.
Serve with pan juices spooned over the chicken and garnish with parsley.
Chicken Ali Bab variation: Replace the thyme with 2 tablespoons ground coriander. Replace the rosemary with 21/2 tablespoons ground cumin. Replace the sun-dried tomatoes with 1 lemon, sliced very thin (in addition to the lemon juice called for in the above recipe). Replace the mushrooms with 16 shallots, peeled and halved. Omit the olives. Add 2/3 cup dried apricots or prunes and 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Combine ingredients (except for bread crumbs and cheese) and marinate as directed above.
Instead of bread crumbs and parmesan cheese, sprinkle top of the chicken with 2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar when you first put it in the oven. Proceed with the directions above. Cilantro is great as an alternative to the parsley.
Excellent with a Spanish red wine such as Tempranillo.