Chicken Moroccan Style

We made another dish from French Country Kitchen by James Villas. This is a dish that I don’t think we will repeat. I think we executed it correctly, and we loved the potatoes, but the chicken turns out to be between a boiled chicken and a stewed chicken. It was not very exciting or bright. Oh well, if we don’t try them you don’t find out. An interesting aspect is that when you cook a dish that you have never eaten, you really don't know if it is well executed and tastes as it should. You only know that if you like it or not. I actually would make the potatoes again. They were great.

Poulet a la Mentonnaise

French Country Kitchen

James Villas

Chicken with Mushrooms, Potatoes, and Olives

Like most travelers, for years I considered Menton little more than the last stop on the French Riviera before crossing the border into Italy, a charming but rather nondescript town whose major attraction was a lively Saturday market. One day, however, we were forced to garage the car for repairs to a bum clutch; when we ventured back into the Old Town, we lingered for almost two hours over this wonderful chicken ragout at a homey place on Square Victoria called La Calanque. What made the dish so glorious were the fresh herbs, but each time I asked Madame to specify which ones, she would simply shrug her shoulders and respond, "Herbes de Provence, Monsieur; tout simplement herbes de Provence."

5            strips bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces

¼            cup olive oil

3-1/2            pound chicken, cut into serving pieces

2            garlic cloves, chopped

¼            pound fresh mushrooms, cut in half

1            cup drained small black olives cured in brine, pitted

2            large ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped

1 tablespoon chopped mixed fresh herbs (thyme, tarragon, rosemary, parsley)

¼ cup Cognac

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1            pound tiny new potatoes, unpeeled

2            teaspoons sugar

In a large casserole, fry the bacon until half cooked, pour off the grease, and add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the chicken and brown it over moderate heat on all sides. Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes. Add the olives, tomatoes, herbs, Cognac, salt, and pepper. Stir, cover tightly, and simmer for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a skillet, add the potatoes, and brown lightly on all sides over moderate heat. Add the potatoes to the chicken, cover, and continue cooking for 30 minutes or until the chicken and potatoes are tender. Transfer the solid contents of the pot to a heated serving platter, add sugar to the sauce, stir for 2 minutes, pour the sauce over the chicken and potatoes, and serve.