Poulet Sauté aux Herbes de Provence

  Posted on August 7, 2009  by Leslie Blythe  No comments

by Julia Child

The combination of thyme, basil, fennel seeds, and garlic gives this chicken dish a Provençal accent. The creamy sauce gets a hit of flavor from an assortment of fresh herbs. For the full experience, serve with plenty of French bread.

Serves 6

Chicken:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 3- to 3 1/2-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces, rinsed, patted dry
1 tsp dried thyme or savory
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp fennel seeds, ground in spice mill or with mortar and pestle
3 unpeeled garlic cloves
2/3 cup dry white wine or 1/2 cup dry white vermouth

Sauce:
2 large egg yolks
1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1 Tbs dry white wine or dry white vermouth
2 to 3 Tbs butter, cut into 1-inch cubes (optional)
2 Tbs chopped fresh basil, fresh fennel fronds, or fresh parsley (optional)

For chicken:
Melt butter in large wide pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, if necessary, add chicken pieces and cook only until golden, turning occasionally, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer chicken breast pieces to plate. Sprinkle remaining chicken pieces in pot with half each of thyme, basil, and fennel seeds, then salt and pepper. Add garlic to pot. Cover pot; reduce heat to medium and cook 8 to 9 minutes. Sprinkle chicken breasts with remaining thyme, basil, and fennel seeds, then salt and pepper. Return breast pieces to pot; baste chicken with butter in pot. Cover and cook until chicken is cooked through, turning and basting occasionally, about 15 minutes. Transfer to hot platter; cover.

Remove peel from garlic cloves; mash garlic with spoon or fork in same pot. Add 2/3 cup wine to juices in pot; boil until liquid is reduced to 3/4 cup, occasionally scraping bottom of pan, about 8 minutes. Pour reduced pan juices into measuring cup and reserve for sauce.

For sauce:
Off heat, whisk egg yolks in heavy small saucepan until beginning to thicken. Whisk in lemon juice and 1 tablespoon wine. Gradually whisk reserved pan juices into eggs, 1 teaspoon at a time. Set sauce over very low heat and whisk constantly until warm and slightly thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. If desired, whisk in butter, 1 piece at a time. Remove from heat. Stir in herbs, if desired. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve.