a French Favorite

Don't worry;

I'm not about to do a total switch of genres and

become a cooking blog - or anything like that.

But when I think of warm Summer days,

I think of the garden,

and fresh herbs and produce;

and lots of time in the kitchen.

As life has been somewhat hectic lately,

I've found it good to focus on doing

what I can do to make meals that are memorable,

and relaxing - and special.

This dish fits all of the above.

So I thought I would share it;

and besides - I promised my sister I would post it for her. :)

So here it is -

one of the most lovely French dishes out there...

Chicken Fricassee with Herbs and Roasted Potatoes

In preparation - you'll want to have about 8 pieces

of chicken thawed and ready to go.

(Boneless Thighs work well.)

Preheat oven to 300 F.

On high heat, seal the chicken in 1 T. of Olive Oil

for about five minutes (until browned.)

Season to taste with Sea Salt and Pepper.

Add 2 T. of Butter and 5 T. Red Wine Vinegar,

stir so that chicken is coated.

Add 3 oz. of Dry White wine or Marsala

cooking wine and bring to a boil for a few seconds.

The recipe calls for 4 cloves of garlic, but I'm more

along the lines of 9 or 10...

Just pop them in there whole.

Next, finely chop 1 Ripe Tomato.

(I needed two...)

Add the tomato to the chicken.

Here's the secret...

French Tarragon.

It's an absolutely amazing herb that comes back in

our garden every year.

You shouldn't attempt French cooking without it.

Add Two Sprigs of chopped Tarragon and

about a handful or so of Fresh Parsley leaves (opt.)

Stir that into the pot...

This is when it begins to smell amazing.

Now, put a lid on the pot, and stick it in the oven

(preheated to 300 F) to cook for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, I went and dug some potatoes.

There's just something special about growing your

own potatoes -

but the ones from the store work fine too.

Red Potatoes are the best.

The recipe calls for 4 medium sized,

but just make how ever many your family will eat.

Chop the potatoes to bite size.

Put them in a roasting pan,

and add:

Salt

Pepper

Dried Parsley

a Chopped Shallot

and drizzle with Olive Oil

Toss it to get it all well coated.

The chicken should be done by now -

so take it out of the oven and turn it up to broil.

Broil the potatoes for maybe 10-15 minutes;

(stirring them occasionally -but be careful-

that broiler can burn your hand off!)

until they are browned and done on the inside.

Watch them closely though, they scorch easily.

To arrange -

place a helping of roasted potatoes on your plate,

and then top with a piece of chicken, some garlic,

and lots of yummy sauce.

And there you have it.

Food you want to eat so badly;

that you can't even take the time

to get a decent photo of it.

Bon Appétit!