Monday Monday

Mother Nature is doing some serious stomping around this morning.

I woke up at 6 am and madly dashed around the house closing windows

as the rain poured down.

Two hours on and the thunder is still booming!

All very entertaining.

An inside day today I think, a pot of chicken stock on the stove, laundry

and dinner will be:

Jacques Pépin's Poulet Chasseur

1 tbsp virgin olive oil

4  chicken breasts (skin on, bone in) cut in half

1 small leek (5 ounces), trimmed, cleaned, and coarsely chopped (1 -3/4 cups)

1 medium onion (4 ounces), peeled and chopped (1 cup)

1-1/2 tbsp  all-purpose flour

1 cup dry white wine

1 can (15 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes in juice

5 cloves garlic, peeled, crushed,

1 tsp         chopped fresh thyme

1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary

1 tsp  sea salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp          soy sauce

1 tbsp  chopped fresh tarragon

1 - Heat the olive oil until it is hot in a large nonstick skillet. Remove the chicken skin and add the chicken breasts in one layer + skin.

2 - Cook them for 5 minutes on each side over medium to high heat. Transfer chicken (discard skin)  to a large, sturdy pan, arranging them side by side in a single layer if possible.

3 - To the drippings in the skillet add the leek and onion, and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the flour, mix it in well, and cook for about 30 seconds.

4 - Deglaze with the wine and add tomatoes. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, and pour over chicken.

5 - Stir in the garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt, pepper and soy sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally to prevent the chicken from scorching, then cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 25 minutes. 

6 - Sprinkle on the tarragon and mix it in. Serve two pieces of chicken breast per person with some of the vegetables and surrounding liquid. Four servings.

(I know this dish is supposed to have mushrooms

but they are the one thing Brilliant Husband will not eat.)

Thank you Elegant Chicken