Poulet a l'Orange Méditerranée
Citrus-Infused Chicken with Olives and Rosemary
Provence brings together the many sweet and savory flavors of the Mediterranean. In this easy dish, versatile chicken mingles with the flavors of Italy and north Africa.
Chicken –Poulet in French—is one of the most versatile and economical meats. Its flavor is relatively mild and so provides a willing canvas on which the culinary artist may paint.
This recipe calls for chicken thighs, but can also be prepared with cut-up chicken. If you prefer boneless chicken, add the chicken and the olives back into the sauce at the same time and reduce that final cooking time to 15 minutes. This dish is excellent served over rice or couscous.
You might identify this dish as Provençal because of the influences from France’s neighbors around the Mediterranean: the cumin and the sweet-savory combination from former French colornies in north Africa, and the dry salami from Italy.
The similarities between Italian and Provençal cuisine arise not only because of proximity, but because most of the major cities in Provence were founded by Romans. Avignon was home to seven popes in the 14th century. The Roman Catholic Church continued to own Avignon and surrounds until 1791, when forces of the French Revolution returned it to French rule.
All of us are the beneficiaries of this confluence of cuisines.
Poulet a l’Orange Méditeranée
You will need: a Dutch oven or other pot large enough to hold the chicken in one layer
- 3-4 lbs chicken thighs (skinned if you prefer less fat)
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 16 scallions (spring onions), white part only, chopped coarsely
- 1/2 small yellow onion, cut in 1/4-inch dice
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1/4 cup good Italian dry salami, cut in 1/4-inch dice
- zest and juice from 2 oranges
- zest and juice from 1 lemon
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped (or 1 1/2 tsp dried)
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 3/4 cup small pitted Niçoise olives (or another assertive variety), chopped
- 1 Tbsp very cold butter
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
- In the Dutch oven over medium high flame, heat the olive oil. When it just begins to smoke, add the chicken in one layer, and brown on both sides, 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a platter and tent with foil.
- Pour off all but one tablespoon of fat from the Dutch oven. Reduce the heat to medium and add the chopped scallions, diced onion and sugar. Cook, stirring, until the onions turn a light golden brown, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in all of the remaining ingredients except the olives and butter. Return the chicken to the pot and simmer, coverd, for 15 minutes.
- Add the olives and simmer for another 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked and tender.
- Transfer the chicken to a serving platter.
- Swirl the cold butter into the sauce until it has melted. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve.
Food Safety and
How to Tell When Chicken is Done
Raw chicken carries the danger of salmonella. Chicken is perfectly safe to eat if handled properly and cooked until done. Wash your hands thoroughly immediately after handling raw chicken. Don’t cut vegetables or any other food on the same surface where raw chicken has been. Many cooks take the extra precaution of having a separate cutting board only for meat, including chicken.
The simplest way to tell if chicken is done is to pierce the thickest piece to the bone with a sharp knife. If the juices run clear, it’s done. If the juices are tinged with pink, it needs more cooking. To be absolutely sure, you can insert an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the thickest piece almost, but not quite, to the bone. (The bone conducts heat differently and can give you a false reading.) The reading should be 140 degrees or more.
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