Quick chicken thighs Provencal

Quick chicken thighs Provencal

From “The Pollan Family Table,”  by Corky, Lori, Dana and Tracy Pollan. (Yes, the actress Pollan.) And if that’s not enough Pollan-ization, there’s a forward from Michael Pollan, author of “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” and other manifestos. The book reflects on the past traditions of their family dinners, and includes recipes aimed at being both healthful and achievable by a broad range of cooks. Most of the recipes don’t have long lists of ingredients, and many can be made in less than an hour. Not overly preachy, and lots of likely looking suspects to try.

Ingredients

8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 cup dry white wine

½ cup red wine vinegar

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 tablespoon drained capers

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

½ cup pitted and halved Kalamata olives

Directions

Heat oil in large, deep skillet. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Brown on both sides over medium-high heat, working batches if need be. Transfer chicken to plate.

Add garlic to pan and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add wine and vinegar, stirring to deglaze pan. Cook until liquid is reduced by about a third. Add tomatoes, capers, herbs and olives, ¾ teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Return chicken and any juices to the pan. Cook, covered, over low heat for 15 minutes. Remove lid and cook 30 minutes longer, raising heat for the final 10 minutes to thicken the sauce. Serve chicken topped with sauce. (It wasn't overly saucy, but there's enough to make sense serving something absorbent on the side.)

Rating: I really liked this dish. Very fast, very flavorful; an immediate keeper.

Sausage, chicken, bacon and white bean gratin

Sausage, chicken and white bean gratin

From “One Pot,” from the kitchens of Martha Stewart Living

This is billed as more or less a faster version of a cassoulet, and it does have some aspects in common with that, although crockpot cassoulet is probably a better cheater’s version of the classic French comfort food.

Ingredients

4 slices bacon

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch cubes

1½ pounds Italian sausage, cut into ½-inch pieces

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

½ cup white wine

2 cans (14.5 ounces each) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 ounces)

1 cup chicken broth

3 tablespoons chopped parsley, divided

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, divided

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary, divided

1 teaspoon thinly sliced fresh sage, divided

1½ cups coarse fresh breadcrumbs (about three slices)

¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Method

Cook bacon slices in a Dutch oven until crisp. Transfer to paper towels. Add chicken and cook until brown. Remove to a plate. Add sausage to pan and cook until browned. Remove to plate. Depending on how much fat is left, you may need to either drain off the fat, or add olive oil to make 2 tablespoons of drippings. Add onion to pan and cut until soft. Add wine and garlic, scraping up brown bits to deglaze the pan, until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Stir in chicken, sausage, beans, tomatoes and broth, plus 2 tablespoons parsley, 1 teaspoon each rosemary and thyme and ½ teaspoon sage. Season with salt and pepper.

Combine breadcrumbs, remaining herbs and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over mixture in pot.

Cover and bake until bubbling, about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until golden, about 10 more minutes. Crumble reserved bacon on top. Allegedly serves 10.

Rating: Nice enough except for the chicken, which seemed not to have really become one with the party. It’s still hearty comfort food, but I found myself wondering whether putting in whole boneless, skinless thighs might have yielded better results, or else just leaving it out completely.