Tag Archives: herbes de provence

Provencial Roast Chicken with Olives

Posted on December 10, 2012 | Leave a comment

This recipe produces a perfect chicken; crispy skin on a moist chicken with aromatic Herbes de Provence, olives and lemon. 

For this recipe you will need:

1 3-4 lb. whole chicken
olive oil
1 lemon
2-3 Tbs. Victoria Taylor’s Herbes de Provence Seasoning
salt and pepper
1 cup mixed olives (from the cheese or deli section of your supermarket)
Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Rub entire surface with olive oil. Spread 2-3 tbs. Victoria Taylor’s Herbes de Provence and salt and pepper over outside and inside of the chicken (as well as under the skin wherever you can). Roll lemon on a hard surface to release juice, cut in half and place inside chicken cavity. Place on rack in roasting pan and cook for 20 minutes. Turn the oven down to 375 degrees and cook for an additional 40 minutes.

Baste the chicken and add olives onto the rack around the chicken. If olives are too small to be caught by the rack, place some aluminum foil down on the rack and place the olives on top of the foil. Continue to cook basting every 15-20 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees.

Serve with buttered bowtie pasta and fresh sautéed spinach, artichokes or broccoli rabe.

Best,

Victoria

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Poultry, Recipes

Tagged , , ,

Herbed Popovers

Posted on October 26, 2012 | Leave a comment

This is a recipe that I often decide to make last minute, mostly because it is made up of items I almost always have on hand.  It also helps that they are quick, delicious and pair well with almost anything.

For this recipe you will need:

Preheat oven to 400°.

Coat the cups of a popover pan or muffing tin with cooking spray or butter. Set aside. In a bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, and milk.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, and Herbes de Provence.

Add flour mixture to egg mixture and stir until fully combined, but do not over mix.

Place popover pan in oven for 3 minutes. Carefully remove pan from oven and fill each cup half-full with batter. Return to oven and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 300° and bake for an additional 20 minutes. Remove pan from oven and immediately prick each popover with the tip of a sharp knife to let steam escape. Serve immediately.

Tip: Do not give in to temptation and open the oven door while the popovers are cooking. You must keep the oven at an even temperature to keep the popovers from collapsing.

Best,

Victoria

→ Leave a comment

Posted in 30 Minutes or Less, Dips, Breads, Spreads, Recipes

Tagged

Coq au Vin

Posted on April 23, 2012 | Leave a comment

Stuck inside on a rainy Sunday I decided to indulge in one of my favorite comfort dishes, Coq au Vin.  A French dish, Coq au Vin is chicken braised in red wine that is extremely rich and delicious. This recipe makes for an impressive meal that is worthy of a special occasion or a cozy day at home. 

For this recipe you will need:

  • 6 strips thick-cut bacon, chopped
  • 2 3-lb. chickens, quartered (chicken thighs and drumsticks may be substituted)
  • 1 Tbs. olive oil
  • 2 yellow onions, sliced (1 ½ cups pearl onions)
  • 2 large carrots, chopped
  • 3 celery stalks, chopped
  • 1 lb. button mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 Tbs. flour
  • ¼ cup brandy or cognac
  • 1 ½ bottles good quality red wine
  • 2 Tbs. Victoria Taylor’s Herbes de Provence
  • salt & pepper to taste

In a deep, heavy skillet cook bacon until done. Remove from pan. Brown quartered chicken in bacon fat on all sides and remove from pan. Pour off any remaining bacon fat.

Add olive oil and sauté onions, carrots, and celery over medium heat until softened, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle flour to coat, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and add brandy to the pan. Carefully ignite with long kitchen match to burn off alcohol. Make sure to have the pan cover close by to extinguish the flame. 

Add wine and stir to mix all ingredients. Add Victoria Taylor’s Herbes de Provence, chicken and any accumulated juices back to pan.

Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour until chicken is cooked thoroughly. Remove chicken to serving dish and keep warm. Add Mushrooms and increase heat to medium.  Cook uncovered for 10 minutes to concentrate sauce.  If sauce is not thick enough mash one tablespoon of unsalted butter with one tablespoon of flour and stir into the sauce. 

Pour sauce over chicken and serve with mashed potatoes or egg noodles.

Best,

            Victoria

 

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Poultry, Recipes

Tagged , ,

Veal Birds

Posted on March 8, 2012 | Leave a comment

Veal Birds rock.  It’s as simple as that. They are just awesome.  Everyone loves them.  No matter how many you make, you will wish you made a few more.  The steps you take to make them add up to about 40 minutes then another 45 minutes in the oven.  One tip – don’t skimp on browning the bacon.  This is your chance to crisp it up.  Stick with it until all sides of each bird are browned before you add the sauce.

For this recipe you will need:

Add the currants to the port in a small bowl.

To prepare the birds, cut the veal cutlets into long strips about 1 1/2 inch wide. Combine 1/2 cup flour with the Herbes de Provence on a plate. Dredge the veal strips in the flour mixture.

Place about 8-10 port soaked currants on one end of the strip. Reserve any remaining currants and the port for later.

Roll-up the veal strip and wrap it with a piece of bacon, securing it with a toothpick. When securing each bird, pass the toothpick through the bacon and the veal to keep them tightly rolled.

Cook the birds on medium heat in a large skillet turning occasionally until all sides are well browned, about 20-25 minutes.

 Place cooked birds in a baking dish just large enough to hold them.

Add the cornstarch to the skillet and combine with the fat from the bacon, scraping any browned bits from the sides and bottom of the pan.

Now on medium-low heat, add the water 1/2 cup at a time until well combined. Finally add the remaining port wine and any leftover currants to the sauce. Cook for another 5-10 minutes, or until the sauce thickens somewhat.

Pour the sauce over the birds in the baking dish and cook for 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Why are they called birds?  It’s a traditional veal dish that was nicknamed in a 1959 issue of Gourmet when someone from Italy was quoted as saying a platter of the little veal bundles looked like a flock of headless birds….really.  And the name stuck.

Best,

            Victoria

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Meat, Recipes

Tagged ,