French Classics Made Easy (28 page)

2.
Preheat the broiler.

3.
Place the chicken halves 3 to 4 inches below the broiler, skin side down. When they have browned well on one side, 8 to 10 minutes, turn and broil on the other side, until well browned, about 7 minutes.

4.
Deglaze the pan by adding the wine, tilting the pan, and stirring to loosen the caramelized bits on the bottom of the pan. Baste the chicken with the liquid and broil for an additional 1 to 2 minutes; the juices of the chicken should run clear when it is pierced with a fork. The alcohol in the wine will evaporate and may ignite, but the flames will cease in seconds.

5.
Serve the chicken with some of the pan juices.

SERVING SUGGESTION

I normally serve the chicken with buttered noodles, rice, or baked potatoes, and accompany it with peas, green beans, or another green vegetable. Sometimes I serve a vegetable as a first course, such as buttered broccoli or an artichoke vinaigrette.

WINE

Serve this with a dry red wine.

VARIATION

G
RILLED OR
R
OASTED
P
OUSSINS

[POUSSINS GRILLÉS OU RÔTIS]

If you have a grill or grill pan, you might want to grill the
poussins
. Or roast them as for squab (see
page 129
). Simply grilled or roasted, they are good served with Wild Rice with Mushrooms (
page 208
).

BASQUE-STYLE SAUTEED CHICKEN BREASTS

[SUPRÊMES DE VOLAILLE BASQUAISE]

The robust flavors of ham, peppers, and tomatoes are typical of the Basque region in the Pyrenees Mountains of southwestern France. Anything served with this combination is labeled
basquaise.
The area is renowned for its pork, and especially the cured hams produced in and around the city of Bayonne. Bayonne ham is either sliced thin and eaten with fruit, like prosciutto, or diced and used to add flavor to dishes. If Bayonne ham is hard to find, use prosciutto.

Instead of making a flour-thickened sauce for this dish, as is customary, I deglaze the pan in which the chicken is cooked with the juices from the tomato, pepper, and ham mixture and reduce them to form a sauce.

SERVES 4 TO 6

2 tablespoons vegetable oil or rendered pork fat (see Note)

2 onions, halved and sliced

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 green bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut into julienne

2 red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut into julienne

¼-inch slice Bayonne ham or prosciutto (about ¼ pound), diced

¼ teaspoon salt

⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1½ pounds tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced, or

2½ cups drained canned diced tomatoes (from a 28-ounce can)

3 tablespoons butter or rendered pork fat (see Note)

6 skinless, boneless chicken half breasts (about 2 pounds)

1.
In a medium-size saucepan, heat the vegetable oil over medium-low heat. Add the onions, cover, and cook gently until they are softened but not browned, 4 to 5 minutes.

2.
Stir in the garlic, green and red peppers, and ham. Season with the salt and pepper. Cover and cook gently until the vegetables are almost tender, about 5 minutes.

3.
Add the tomatoes and cook an additional 3 to 4 minutes. The tomatoes should be soft but still hold their shape. Drain the vegetables, reserving the liquid, and set aside. (The recipe can be prepared in advance to this point. Cover, let cool, and refrigerate. Reheat the ham and vegetables in a small amount of the reserved liquid before proceeding.)

4.
In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook until the juices run clear when the chicken is pierced with a fork and it is just slightly springy to the touch, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove to a serving platter and keep warm.

5.
Pour off any remaining fat and deglaze the pan by adding the reserved vegetable liquid and stirring to loosen the caramelized bits on the bottom and sides of the pan. Reduce the liquid until it has the consistency of light cream. To serve, arrange the vegetables and chicken on a warm platter and pour the sauce over the chicken.

NOTE

Pork fat (lard) is the fat typical of
basquaise
dishes. To render pork fat, dice about ¼ pound fresh pork fat and melt over medium heat. Measure out the quantity called for and save the remainder for another use or discard.

IN ADDITION

A
suprême
of chicken is technically a boned breast of chicken with the skin and the wing’s first joint attached. When sautéed and presented on a plate or platter, it has a more attractive shape and has better color than the boned and skinless breasts or cutlets we find in our markets.

SERVING SUGGESTION

Start with Home-Style Terrine with Prunes (
page 54
). Serve the chicken with Rice Pilaf (
page 207
) and a green salad, if you’d like. For dessert, try peach Melba (see headnote on
page 345
) and Biarritz cookies (
page 255
).

WINE

I enjoy Spanish Riojas or red Bordeaux with this dish.

VARIATION

B
ASQUE
-S
TYLE
R
OAST
C
HICKEN

[POULET RÔTI BASQUAISE]

You can also roast a chicken and serve it surrounded by the ham and vegetable mixture (steps 1 through 3).

SAUTEED PHEASANT BREASTS
WITH JUNIPER

[SUPRÊMES DE FAISAN AU GENIÈVRE]

The combination of juniper berries and game birds is classic. The birds are usually roasted, and the juniper berries are used to flavor an accompanying sauce or stuffing.

The following recipe finds its inspiration in the traditional use of juniper with game birds, but gets its innovation from serendipity. About 25 years ago, a student presented me with several pheasants. Unfortunately,
they had already been skinned, making them unsuitable for roasting. So I improvised. I took a handful of juniper berries, crushed them, and coated the pheasant breasts as I would for a steak au poivre. I then sautéed them and flamed them with gin (which is flavored with juniper), added meat glaze, and finished the sauce with some cream.

The result so pleased me that I later decided to re-create the recipe with chicken breasts. Although chicken is more delicate in taste, it is similar in size, cooking properties, and texture. The dish was delicious. Try it with chicken, but if you can get pheasant—commercially raised pheasant is available—try the recipe in its original form.

SERVES 4 TO 6

6 individual skinless, boneless pheasant or chicken half breasts (about 2 pounds)

½ cup juniper berries, crushed

1 tablespoon butter

¼ teaspoon salt

⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

¼ cup plus 1 teaspoon gin

1 tablespoon Chicken Glaze (optional;
page 310
)

1 cup heavy cream

1.
Lightly coat the pheasant breasts with the juniper berries and wrap in plastic wrap. Let stand at room temperature for 2 hours. (If you are preparing this more than 2 hours in advance, wrap well and refrigerate.)

2.
In a 10- to 12-inch skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the pheasant breasts and sauté until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Turn the breasts, season with the salt and pepper, cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and continue cooking until done, 5 to 7 minutes. The breasts should be slightly springy to the touch. If soft or very springy, they need longer cooking; if firm to the touch, they are overcooked.

3.
Remove the pan from the heat, add the ¼ cup of gin, and flame (see “How to Flambé,”
page 282
). When the flames die, transfer the breasts to a warm platter or serving plates. Most of the juniper berries will have fallen from the breasts during cooking and should be left in the pan. Add the chicken glaze (if using) and stir until dissolved. Add the cream, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. At this point the sauce should be thick enough to lightly coat a spoon. Add the teaspoon of gin to the sauce.

4.
To serve: Pour the sauce over the breasts. Serve only a few berries with the sauce, to indicate where the flavor comes from, and tell your guests that they need not eat them, for most will find them too bitter. Serve immediately.

F
RESH
J
UNIPER
B
ERRIES

I have made pheasant with juniper using dried store-bought berries instead of fresh ones, and although my guests always enjoy it, I am always disappointed. For this reason I like to use fresh berries whenever possible. Juniper berries, which can be found on juniper trees and bushes, are green on the tree (or bush), but turn dark blue or black a week or so after picking (this is how you find them in the store). Fresh berries have a stronger taste of resin and are more bitter than the riper dark berries.

Caution:
This is important. There are a number of decorative trees and shrubs that look like juniper and bear similar-looking berries, but that are extremely toxic. Before picking or cooking with any berries you assume to be juniper, make absolutely certain that you know the tree or bush is a true juniper. If you are not sure, do
not
pick them!

SERVING SUGGESTION

To start, I would serve a pâté or a consommé made with the rest of the pheasant. Serve the pheasant breasts on a bed of buttered noodles or with wild rice. A green salad rounds out the meal, followed by a Grand Marnier Soufflé (
page 265
).

WINE

Both white and red Burgundies will go well with this deliciously different pheasant dish.

SAUTEED RABBIT
WITH MUSTARD AND ROSEMARY

[LAPIN SAUTÉ À LA MOUTARDE ET AU ROMARIN]

In case you think I’ve taken leave of my senses for including rabbit in a chapter called Poultry, in France rabbit is treated much like chicken. Small young rabbits are tender like chicken, but have a more robust flavor.

I know many people who refuse to eat rabbit for a variety of reasons, most of which stem from childhood memories of their Easter bunnies. The following recipe, which combines the flavors of mustard, rosemary, and Cognac, has convinced many skeptics that rabbit is worthy of serious consideration. For those already convinced, who would like more rabbit recipes, substitute rabbit for chicken in recipes such as Chicken with Sherry Vinegar (
page 121
) and Chicken or Veal in Cream Sauce (
page 120
).

SERVES 6

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 rabbits (2½ pounds each), cut into serving pieces (ask the butcher to do this)

¼ teaspoon salt

⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3 shallots, finely chopped

¼ cup plus

1 teaspoon Cognac

½ cup dry white wine

1 cup chicken stock, homemade or canned (see chart,
page 305
)

3 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary, plus a sprig for garnish

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon Meat Glaze (optional;
page 309
)

1 cup heavy cream

6 sprigs parsley, chopped

1.
In a large skillet, heat the oil over high heat. Add the rabbit pieces and brown lightly, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Season with the salt and pepper.

2.
Pour off the excess oil and add the onion, garlic, and shallots to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until softened without browning, about 2 minutes.