Imagine my surprise when I went to search the internet and saw that today's google doodle was celebrating what would have been Julia Child's 100th birthday today.
I can barely remember anyone's birthday, so had they not told me, I never would have known. Honestly, some days I can barely remember my own birthday.
I LOVE Julia Child. Having enough time and and an endless metabolism, I might cook from her Mastering the Art of French Cooking cookbook every day. I know that my husband would love it. But alas, I live in reality and my thighs are thanking me for not consuming two Paula Deens worth of butter every day. (That converts to ~ two pounds, in case you were curious.)
To remember her legacy, I whipped out my French cooking "bible"
and looked for something delicious to make for dinner. I decided upon poulet sauté a la crème avec pommes de terre persillées.
In continued French fashion, I pulled out my long coveted Le Creuset french oven. I had been drooling over it for literally years. We bought it before I quit my job since we knew that if we didn't get it then, we might never get it.
Season the dark meat with salt, pepper, and herbs. If the browning fat has burned, pour it out of the casserole and add the fresh butter. Place over moderate heat. Cover and cook slowly for 8-9 minutes. Continue to cook for another 15 minutes, turning and basting the chicken 2 or 3 times.
Have a little helper in the kitchen to set the timer while waiting for the chicken to cook.
Remove the chicken and place on a hot platter.
Remove all but 1 Tbsp of fat from the casserole. Stir in the shallots and cook slowly for 1 minute. Then add the wine and boil rapidly down to about 2 Tbsp, scraping up coagulated cooking juices.
Add the cream and boil it down until it has thickened slightly. Correct seasoning. Whisk in butter and herbs.
Pour the sauce over the chicken.Serve with parsley potatoes.
Voilà!
If you don't have a French wine, something like a white chardonnay will work.
Joyeux anniversaire Julia!
-Anna
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| google's doodle from august 15, 2012 |
I LOVE Julia Child. Having enough time and and an endless metabolism, I might cook from her Mastering the Art of French Cooking cookbook every day. I know that my husband would love it. But alas, I live in reality and my thighs are thanking me for not consuming two Paula Deens worth of butter every day. (That converts to ~ two pounds, in case you were curious.)
To remember her legacy, I whipped out my French cooking "bible"
On to the recipe.
Ingredients:
Chicken
2 1/2 - 3 lbs of cut-up frying chicken
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp oil
Salt
Pepper
2 Tbsp Fresh Herbs - Thyme, Basil and/or Tarragon
Sauce
1 Tbsp minced shallots
1/2 Cup white wine
1 Cup heavy cream
1 - 2 Tbsp softened butter
Directions:
Dry each piece of chicken thoroughly. It will not brown if it is damp.
Place the casserole over moderately high heat with the butter and oil. When you see that the butter foam has almost subsided, add as many chicken pieces, skin side down, as will easily fit into one layer. In 2 to 3 minutes, when the chicken has browned to a nice golden color on one side, turn it to brown on another side. Regulate heat so fat is always very hot but not burning. Remove browned pieces as they are done and add fresh ones until all pieces have browned.
Have a little helper in the kitchen to set the timer while waiting for the chicken to cook.
If you don't have a French wine, something like a white chardonnay will work.
-Anna
