by Allie’s request, one of the first dishes I ever knew how to cook
Serves 6
Ingredients
- 2 kg chicken pieces (or a big chicken, jointed) preferable free range
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- flour
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 cloves of garlic, crushed or finely chopped
- bouquet garni, or whatever you have to hand of parsley, thyme and bay leaf
- 1 cup white wine
- 1/4 cup brandy (optional)
- tin of tomatoes, roughly chopped with their juices
- handful of baby onions, peeled (optional)
- big handful of little mushrooms
- chopped parsley to do the garnish thing
Method
Heat the oil and butter in a large casserole dish.
Dredge the chicken pieces in the seasoned flour, then brown the chicken in the sizzling fat until golden all over. You know not to crowd, and you know not to flour the chicken ’till you’re ready to brown it, so I won’t tell you that.
When the chicken is all golden, and sitting to one side on a plate, pour the wine (or wine and brandy, or even sherry) into the casserole and bring it to the boil while doing the scraping thing to pick up all the yummy bits on the bottom of the pan.
Pop the chicken back in, add the garlic, herbs, tomatoes, and the onions if you are using them. Cover the casserole and cook gently for 30 minutes.
Add the mushrooms and cook for a further 15 minutes or until the chicken is tender. (I think it may take longer, particularly on a Bawley Pt stove).
Pull out the cooked herbs, sprinkle on the fresh ones and serve. If you do happen to have crayfish or a lobster handy, garnish with that too. That would make this dish very authentic. Under those circumstances, I would insist that fellow diners dress in appropriate Napoleonic uniforms, preferably a little bloody and sweaty. You may do as you wish.