Chicken Matelote

Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 16 baby onions
• 2 carrots, peeled
• 2 parsnips, peeled
• 3 1/2 ounces butter
• 2 tablespoons plain flour
• 1 cup dry wine
• 1 cup beef stock or 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 bunch fresh parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 small fresh thyme sprig
• fresh basil leaf
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 2 cloves
• 1 chicken, jointed
• 6 anchovies
• 1 tablespoon capers

Recipe

• 1 top and tail the onions, then blanch them for 7 minutes in boiling salted water. run them under the cold tap and remove their skins.
• 2 cut the carrots and parsnips into large matchstick strips.
• 3 heat half the butter in a large casserole, until golden brown, and then stir in the flour.
• 4 cook for 2 minutes, and then add the wine and stock, the onions and root vegetables, garlic, herbs, spring onion and spices. cover and simmer for half an hour.
• 5 meanwhile, brown the chicken pieces in the remaining butter.
• 6 add to the sauce and simmer for 30 minutes or longer until the chicken is done, turning the pieces occasionally and removing the breast pieces before they overcook.
• 7 put the chicken on a hot serving plate with the onions and vegetable strips and keep warm.
• 8 skim the sauce, which should be well reduced (if not, increase the heat and cook for 5 minutes or so longer).
• 9 crush together 4 of the anchovy fillets with the capers and add them to the sauce. simmer for 1 minute, stirring constantly. taste the sauce and add the remaining anchovy fillets if you like, crushing them first. season to taste and serve.