Left Bank Bistro
Botich, George
Buy this Art Print at AllPosters.com

La Belle Cuisine - More Lagniappe * Recipes

Fine Cuisine with Art Infusion

"To cook is to create. And to create well...
is an act of integrity, and faith."

*Lagniappe (lan-yap)  - a little something extra,
that little unexpected pleasant surprise.

Alva Double-Garlic Chicken with
Overnight Tomatoes

Recipe of the Day Categories:

   Recipe Home

   Recipe Index

   Appetizers

   Beef

   Beverage

   Bread

   Breakfast

   Cake

   Chocolate

   Cookies

   Fish

   Fruit

   Main Dish

   Pasta

   Pies

   Pork

   Poultry

   Salad

   Seafood

   Side Dish

   Soup

   Vegetable

   Surprise!

 
Strings of tomatoes
dry on a wall near a
bed of begonias
Tino Soriano
Buy this Photographic Print at AllPosters.com

Your patronage of our affiliate partners supports this web site.
We thank you! In other words, please shop at LBC Gift Galerie!

 
Cloves Of Garlic, Italy
Mellor, Chris
Buy this Photographic Print at AllPosters.com

Alva Double-Garlic Chicken with
Overnight Tomatoes


Great American Food
by Charlie Palmer with Judith Choate, 1996, Random House

Serves 6

“The pungent garlic flavors become dense and sweet in this simple dish created
for my bistro-style restaurant, Alva. The oven-dried tomatoes can be made a few
days in advance and stored, airtight, at room temperature.”

12 ripe plum tomatoes
Coarse salt
Pepper
3 large bulbs garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
3 large, whole chicken breasts with wings attached
6 chicken thighs
2 large bunches arugula
1 1/2 pounds fresh spinach
3 tablespoons corn oil
3 cups chicken stock
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
6 sprigs fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Wash and dry tomatoes. Cut them in half, lengthwise, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Place on a wire rack on a small baking sheet in preheated oven. Lower heat to 175 degrees F. and roast for 8 hours, or
until almost completely dry. Remove from oven and set aside.
Raise oven heat to 325 degrees F.
Separate cloves from garlic bulbs. Toss cloves in 2 tablespoons of olive
oil. Place them in a small baking dish and roast for 18 minutes, or until
very soft. Peel each clove and divide the peeled cloves in half. Purée and
reserve one half. Set remaining half aside.
Cut and bone chicken breasts. [Cookbook contains detailed instructions,
with photographs, for “breaking down poultry”.] Using a boning knife, carefully cut down into the thighbones. Cut against the bones to detach
the meat from the bones. Life meat away from bones. Trim off any
cartilage or excess fat. Pat dry.
Rub garlic purée into the skin of all chicken pieces. Season to taste with
salt and pepper.
Wash and dry arugula and spinach well. Set aside.
Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of corn oil in each of two large sauté pans over medium heat. Add the chicken, skin-side down. Tilting the pans from time
to time to distribute the fat evenly, cook for10 minutes, or until skin is
golden-brown and crusty. Turn and cook for 8 minutes, or until chicken
is golden-brown and just cooked through, draining pan if excess fat builds
up. Remove chicken from pan and drain on paper towels. Cover lightly
and keep warm.
Return both pans to medium heat. Place stock, reserved whole garlic
cloves, butter, and parsley in one pan. Raise heat and cook for 5 minutes,
or until slightly thickened. Place arugula and spinach in the remaining pan, adding no more than 2 tablespoons of olive oil, if necessary, to coat the
greens lightly. Sauté for 3 minutes, or until just softened. Taste and adjust
seasoning in both pans with salt and pepper. Add tomatoes to sauce and simmer for 30 seconds.
Place greens in the center of a warm platter. Slightly overlap the chicken pieces, alternating a breast and a thigh, around the edge of the bed of
greens. Spoon sauce over the chicken, placing a tomato on top of each
chicken piece. Garnish with parsley sprigs and serve immediately.

Suggested Wine:  A Pinot Noir, such as Au Bon Climat
 

More Lagniappe Recipes!
Recipe Archives Index

Daniel Boulud, Alain Ducasse, Paul Bocuse, François Payard, Pierre Herme, Thomas Keller..