Poule au pot (pictured above)
The story goes that France’s King Henry IV declared that every family in France should have the means to eat chicken every Sunday, and from this, the poule-au-pot was born.
Poule-au-pot is chicken simmered in water with vegetables and aromatics. The broth can either be served separately or with the chicken and vegetables. A spent hen – a chicken bred to lay eggs – is traditional for this dish. Tougher and more gamey-tasting than chicken bred for meat, such a hen would require a longer simmering time than is indicated below, at least two hours, to become tender.
Prep 15 min
Cook 1 hr 30 min
Serves 4
1.3 kg whole chicken
1 onion
3 cloves
2 bay leaves
2 thyme sprigs
1 star anise
6 peppercorns
2 large carrots, peeled, trimmed and chopped into large pieces
1 medium potato, peeled, trimmed and chopped into large pieces
2 celery sticks, peeled, trimmed and chopped into large pieces
1 large leek, washed and quartered
1 large handful basmati rice (optional)
Juice of ½ lemon
10g parsley leaves
Trim the chicken of any excess fat around the neck and put in a large saucepan or casserole.
Trim and peel the onion, leaving it whole, and pierce with the cloves. Put the onion in the pot, and add the bay leaves, thyme, star anise, peppercorns and chopped vegetables.
Cover the bird with water, add a big pinch of salt, then put on the hob over a high heat. Pop on a lid and bring to a boil. Skim off any foam, lower the heat and simmer gently for 45 minutes.
Add the rice to the pan, simmer for 20-25 minutes and, when the rice is cooked, turn off the heat and remove the chicken from the pan. Check it is cooked by pulling a leg to see if it comes off with ease, then carve. Share the chicken between four bowls.
Put a sieve over a large bowl and strain the broth and vegetables. Slice the onion into four pieces. Share the strained vegetables and rice between the bowls and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper.
Taste the broth, season if needed, then add the lemon juice. Pour a ladleful of broth into the bowls of chicken and vegetables. Top each bowl with a little finely chopped parsley, and serve at once.
Recipe by Caroline Craig. Her book Provence will be published by Kyle Cathie in June 2019
Beef bourguignon
Prep 15 min
Cook 2 hr 25 min
Serves 4
1 tbsp lard or oil
450g beef chuck or top round steak, not too lean, cut into large cubes
6 small onions, or shallots, peeled
150g lardons or streaky bacon, diced
1 tbsp flour
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 bottle red wine, ideally a light red burgundy or red hermitage
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 bouquet garni – thyme, bay leaf and parsley tied in a bunch with string so it can be easily removed before serving
Salt and black pepper
12 small mushrooms
Parsley, leaves picked and chopped
Heat the lard or oil in a large pan on a high flame and fry the meat until browned on all sides, then add the onions and fry until those are also browned.
Meanwhile, in another pan, sweat the bacon in some oil or lard for a few minutes.
Stir the flour into the first pan, cook for a minute, then add the garlic, wine, tomato puree, bouquet garni and the bacon. Season, cover, and cook slowly for about two hours.
Add the mushrooms and cook slowly for another 15 minutes.
Serve hot in bowls, with mashed potato or fresh noodles, and scatter with the parsley.
Adapted from La Mère Brazier: The Mother of Modern French Cooking by Eugénie Brazier, translated by Drew Smith(Modern Books)
This is a 1920s recipe. The original would have probably used beaujolais
Duck à l’orange
Prep 15 min
Cook 45 min
Serves 6
3 oranges, 1 peeled and chopped, 1 zested and 1 sliced or cut into wedges, to garnish
1 duck, liver retained
100ml beef stock
50ml curaçao
Salt and black pepper
50g butter
Heat the oven to 220C/425F/gas 7. Put the chopped orange inside the duck, put it in a roasting tin and roast for 20 minutes per 500g.
Meanwhile, bring a small pan of water to a boil, add the orange zest and blanch for 10 minutes. Drain the water and mash the zest in a small bowl with the duck liver.
When the duck is cooked throughout, remove the duck from the roasting tin, then carve it. Arrange the pieces on a serving dish and garnish with the orange slices or wedges.
Strain the cooking juices from the roasting tin into a pan, add the stock and bring to a boil. Add the zest and liver mixture and the curaçao. As soon as it comes back to a boil, take the pan off the heat. Season, stir in the butter and pour into a sauce boat to serve.
Adapted from France: The Cookbook, by Ginette Mathiot
Cassoulet
Prep 1 hr
Soak Overnight
Cook 4 hr 15 min
Serves 6
500g dried haricot beans, soaked overnight
1 carrot, peeled
1 onion, peeled and studded with cloves
150g streaky bacon
1 bouquet garni
60g goose fat
750g pork or mutton, cut into 5cm pieces
200g onions, peeled and chopped
25g garlic, peeled and crushed
150g tomato puree
150g raw garlic sausage or Toulouse sausage
600g duck or goose confit
Salt and black pepper
Rinse and drain the beans, and put them in a large, heavy-based pan or casserole dish with the carrot, onion, bacon, bouquet garni and enough water to cover – about four litres. Bring to a boil and simmer for an hour, skimming off any froth.
About 45 minutes into cooking, melt the goose fat in a separate pan over a low heat, then turn up the heat and fry the pork or mutton in batches, until browned. Add the onions, garlic, tomato puree and 500ml of the bean cooking liquor, then simmer for 10 minutes.
Remove and discard the carrot and onion, add the contents of the pork pan, then the sausage and the confit. Draw off and reserve some of the cooking liquor, leaving just enough to cover the meat. Bring to a boil, cover, then simmer over a low heat for an hour.
After an hour, heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4. Remove the sausage and cut into pieces. Arrange alternate layers of beans, cooking liquor, pork/mutton, confit and sausage pieces in a large ovenproof dish. Season carefully with salt and pepper and finish with a layer of sausage. Cover and cook in the oven for two hours, then remove the lid and cook for a further 15 minutes before serving.
Adapted from France: The Cookbook, by Ginette Mathiot
