CHICKEN PROVENCALE

We serve it with buttered pasta penne noodles- add a

sprinkle of garlic powder and parmesan cheese to

the noodles to make them taste even better! It is an

 easy to cook dish you could serve at a dinner party!

 chicken cooked in a sauce made with tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil

The flavors are bold in this French sauté with a sauce of

tomatoes, garlic, rosemary, olives, and just enough anchovy

 paste to give the sauce depth.

Chicken provencal is chicken cooked in a sauce made

 with tomatoes, garlic and olive oil. One can add herbs to

give the source an extra tangy taste. The recipe varies from

 place to place

RECIPE

1. 1 tablespoon cooking oil
2. 1 chicken (about 3 to 3 1/2 pounds), cut into eight pieces
3. 3/4 teaspoon salt
4. 1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
5. 1 small onion, chopped
6. 4 cloves garlic, minced
7. 1/2 cup red wine
8. 1 1/2 cups canned crushed tomatoes with their juice
9. 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
10. 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
11. 1/3 cup black olives, such as NiÇoise or Kalamata,
12. halved and pitted
13. 1 teaspoon anchovy paste

Methods/Procedure:

1. In a large, deep frying pan, heat the oil over
2.  moderately high heat. Season the chicken with
3. 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper and put it in
4.  the pan. Cook the chicken until browned, turning,
5. about 8 minutes in all. Remove the chicken from
6. the pan. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from the pan.
7. Reduce the heat to moderately low. Add the
8.  onion and the garlic and cook, stirring
9.  occasionally, until the onion starts to soften,
10. about 3 minutes. Add the wine to the pan and
11. simmer until reduced to about 1/4 cup, 1 to 2
12. minutes. Add the tomatoes, rosemary, thyme,
13. olives, anchovy paste, and the remaining 1/2
14. teaspoon salt and simmer for 5 minutes.
15. Add the chicken thighs and drumsticks and
16. any accumulated juices. Reduce the heat to low
17. and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Add the breasts
18. and cook until the chicken is just done, about 10
19. minutes more. Add the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Serve WithSimple roasted new potatoes or boiled green beans would be excellent with the gutsy flavors here.

Suggested Pairing

There are lots of interesting wines from the region of Provence that will be ideal with this dish. For a lighter, summer wine, look for a Rosé from that region. If you prefer a red, try a Côtes de Provence.