My first time overseas was in Haiti and I was “brand new”, 24 years old. Everything was so exciting and interesting; babies on the back, trays of fruit balanced on heads, a different culture and language. You could say I was giddy with delight! Really.
I remember harshly and arrogantly, as only the young can do, criticizing older State Department couples for being unenthusiastic; not bothering to learn the language, explore the culture, city and country, refusing to leave the Sans Souci Hotel grounds and seeing any outside intrusions as affronts to their sensibilities, gazing at everything with the old “fish eye”. I thought they should go home.
Well, as my grandmother used to say, “what goes around comes around” and here I am now thinking that I should go home. I lack enthusiasm for Germany and I don’t want to know. My grandmother also used to say, “you don’t miss your water til the well runs dry”, which I love, but it has nothing to do with this post; I just wanted to put it out there.
Why am I whining? It’s because I’m here in Sens and all my big tajines are in Stuttgart. I wanted to use one to make the poulet de Bresse. Even my pretty Le Creuset covered casserole is there, as if I needed it in Stuttgart for my joyless kitchen forays! Boo, hoo, hoo, hoo 😀
So that’s why. Anyway, I wanted to make a good chicken dish today to eat with M. Parret and was inspired by the Garlic Braised Chicken at Whole Living http://www.wholeliving.com/132685/garlic-braised-chicken-olives-and-mushrooms. Not willing to be satisfied with just any old chicken, I decided to ease on by the Maison Trotoux where they specialize in poultry products from Bresse.
Maison Trotoux is a traiteur-butcher and they have so many good things here! I’m so glad that as more and more artisanal food shops disappear in Sens, Trotoux has a solid base of clients and is more than accommodating and welcoming to new and sometimes overly finicky clients who object to feathery heads and blue chicken feet in their packages.
I totally love the way the chicken is processed on site, the breast separated into supremes (1/2 breast with drumlette attached), two whole chicken legs, a package of the carcass for making stock, a package of the heart, liver and gizzard, a package of removed chicken fat, all ready to melt and use to brown the chicken. I love these people!
I was pretty excited about trying this recipe. It might have been the inclusion of two entire heads of garlic that thrilled my soul 🙂
And for those who left the identifying head and feet behind, there is a little metal tag attached to the chicken that reminds you of what you bought. So considerate!
Ideally, this should have been a one tajine dish; browning the chicken, then the garlic, mushrooms and olives all in one pan, then adding the wine and chicken broth. But even with the adjustments, this was still very, very easy to make and delicious.
For our entree today, M. Parret made a fresh tomato salad from his garden with viniagrette.
The bread was home made poppy seed from the kitchen of a friend.
With the chicken main course, I made smashed red potatoes with butter and parsley. And of course we had cheese. Comte, Tomme de Savoie, Epoisse, Camembert and Roquefort.
Garlic Braised Chicken
1 large or 2 small chickens, cut into pieces, heart, liver, gizzard and fat reserved
Salt and pepper
2 heads of garlic smashed
1 lb mushrooms, halved
1 cup of yellow wine
1 cup of green olives, pitted
2/3 cup chicken broth
Melt the chicken fat, put 2 tbsp into a skillet and brown the chicken, skin side down for about 6-7 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Add 1 more tablespoon of chicken fat to the skillet and cook the garlic, mushrooms and reserved chicken innards until the garlic is soft. Add the wine and boil for about 1 minute.
Add the olives and chicken broth, bring to a boil and simmer for about 2 minutes, then mix with the chicken. Pour all into roasting pan, cover with aluminum foil, then roast in a 400 F oven for about 20 minutes, uncover, and continue to roast for 10-15 minutes.
I am jealous you have such a lovely butcher shop as Maison Trotoux. JEALOUS! 😀
Isn’t that a deadly sin 😀
That looks delicious and what a cheese basket! Great shots of Maison Trotoux too.
Somehow I think you belong in Sens – you must have been French in another life 😉
Thank you Mad. Of course I belong in Sens! But no, I was always American 😀
Where is HOME Rose? Your voice is an echo. “What goes around comes around”. Been there, done that, thought the same. I’m just glad we’ve been on both ends of the merry go round. And there is a time to “get off”. Myself, I am still confused as to where.
France is home Kathy as will eventually be Honesdale when Kevin retires.
However Rose. A Bresse chicken is too expensive to roast in “any old pot.”
In total agreement. I was upset.
i am still stuck on epoisse… mmmm, epoisse!
A tartine with boudin noir, apple wedges and epoisse. Mmmmmm.
Hi. Am I understanding correctly from today’s post, that you’ve lost your Wanderlust?
Yes, but not my joie de vivre 😉
Wonderful recipe, thank you:)
You are welcome.
This is beautiful! The fresh ingredients turn a simple recipe into a gourmet treat. Love this recipe. I must try this. I’d love to get a chicken as fresh as yours.
I’m hoping you can find a local farmers’ market with a chicken stall.
Sigh, I want that cheese. Not everywhere you land will sing to you, it’s not possible. But you’ve traveled open to experiences. The people I don’t get are the ones who travel but refuse to try. I had an uncle like that. He was smart but refused to be open to new things. Not sure why he bothered.
I’ve known a lot of people like that and that’s why I’m disappointed with myself. But it is what it is.
Yeah but I’ve been to places that just weren’t a good fit. I’ve been to Munich, don’t need to go again. 🙂 But I’ll be going back to Italy!
Me too 🙂
I feel for you Rosemary. I also have to say that your photography is getting to a new level. Beautiful compositions.
Keep looking on the bright side,
Conor
Thank you Conor, that’s kind of you to say so 🙂
I wish there were more opportunities to sample fantastic ingredients in the US hinterlands. I must say, however, that tomatoes from my garden are exquisite, and unparalleled for taste.
Tomatoes are “fantastic ingredients”.
For me, these stand alone – too good to be just ingredients
It looks and sounds amazing, and so does the simple tomato salad – just like we have here with plenty of good bread to mop up the juices!
M. Parret is a champion at tomato salads with vinaigrette.
I know how you love your tajines. I think anywhere that had that market would keep me happy!
I can’t believe I took them all to Stuttgart!
The chicken is fragrant! I am sure I can smell it. lol
Very Adelaide. Garlic is good!
What a lovely recipe. I want to taste this !
Thank you Brenda.
Fabulous post. Good shopping, good produce, good cooking, good cheeses, good tomatoes, good company, good photography. A 10 if ever I’ve seen one.
Thank you Roger 🙂
That title is perfect for my comment as I missed coming here, after a long travel vacation to Europe. Missed your recipes
Welcome back! Hope you had a good trip.
What a great butchers shop. We’ve just had a week in Divonne and one regret is that it wasn’t practical to bring anything like this back with us (it would have spent 7 hours in Geneva train station on the hottest day of the year…) Great sounding recipe too!
Thank you Phil. It is a great shop and one of those open to special requests. I love that!
Looks beautiful, Rosemary! Having access to inspiring ingredients can make all the difference. Sorry to hear that Germany underwhelms!
It’s probably not Germany’s fault, but mine. Sigh.