This hearty French inspired Chicken Provencal will satisfy your hunger! It has everything we love; bacon, potatoes, and lots of white wine
Chicken Provencal
What is the background of this dish? To be honest, I know very little about Provencal! Hey, at least I know it’s a delicious French stew.
Let me explain myself. When I was 4 or 5 years old, I began collecting recipes. I would cut out recipes from my mum’s magazines and glue them to my scrapbook or slide them into my folder. Food and cooking was a passion of mine since that age, and believe it or not, I still have a massive box full of recipes I’ve collected over the years.
In my spare time, I love making myself a cup of coffee and putting my feet up whilst going through my old collection of recipes for cooking inspiration. I came across this recipe for Chicken Provencal with potatoes and bacon a few years ago whilst I was craving comfort food to warm me up in the middle of a cold winter snap.
The ingredients called for in this French-inspired Chicken Provencal are very similar to the French dish I love Coq au Vin. They actually taste quite similar too, but this dish is not as intense and rich as the red wine-based Coq au Vin. However, Chicken Provencal is just as tasty and satisfying. There’s lots of wine in these dishes, so you’ll definitely be able to taste that in the stew!
So, you’ll be proud of me. I did a little homework and read about Provencal.
Provencal is a dish from the Provence region in southeastern France. I’ve been fortunate to travel to France but only stopped over Paris. After seeing the stunning Google photos of Provence, I have now added this place to my bucket list.
Chicken Provencal uses local produce that is in abundance in Provence. Olive oil, olives, herbs and, of course, lots of wine!
It’s June and winter has crept in
June is the start of our winter. The mornings and nights here are cold, but it’ll get even colder soon! When I was younger, I loved winter, especially when it rained. I also got excited every time it hails and I still do, as long as me and my car are indoors when it happens! How on earth does ice suddenly pelt down from the sky out of nowhere? It’s always a little magical to me.
Then, when I was in my teens and twenties, I preferred summer. Hot days were a good excuse to show some sun-kissed skin and wear little clothing. My friends and I look back and laugh at our younger version of ourselves, including our fashion sense. I can’t believe we wore tiny crop tops in public.
These days I’m a spring girl. I love the sound of birds and the smell and sights of spring. It’s the promise of summer, without having to sweat during a heatwave!
Anyway, winter has arrived here and I just have to deal with it because hibernating under layers of blankets isn’t an option. Early frosty mornings with my 2-year-old toddler, Kai, is how it’s going to be in the next few months. I swear, he has the cutest winter gear! He looks so adorable with a beanie on, but he’ll only tolerate wearing one for a few seconds before he throws it carelessly on the ground. I’ll just have to wait a little longer until we can wear cute matching pom pom beanies together.
Speaking of Kai, that little guy is growing up way too fast. He woke up from his afternoon nap and likes to cuddle for a bit before he fully wakes up and continues to cause havoc. As usual, I would sing to him and play with his hair, and he would love it…well, that was, until today. I was happily singing the second verse when Kai rudely interrupted me. ‘MUMMY TURN IT OFF, NOW!’ he yells at me, sounding really annoyed. Hahaha!
The best thing about winter is indulging in comfort food, so let’s see the kilos pile up! My kitties eating patterns have changed too. Teddie has a bottomless stomach normally, but during winter he becomes a predator and would attack us for food!
Looking for some more delicious comfort food this winter? Try out these recipes:
Beef and Potato Stew (Ukrainian)
Ingredients for Chicken Provencal
Chicken cutlets are what we call bone-in chicken thighs with skin on. Cooking with bone-in chicken makes it more tender and juicy. If preferred, you could also use boneless chicken thigh fillets or a mix of chicken pieces.
Dry white wine is lower in sugar levels than other varieties of white wine. Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio are popular dry white wine varieties.
Potatoes – Waxy potatoes work best because they’ll keep their shape during the long cooking process. Kipfler, Russet, Yukon Gold, all-purpose and low GI potatoes are great for stews.
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Rindless bacon – My favourite bacon is streaky because I like the ratio of meat to fat. However, most kinds of rindless bacon will work, but I don’t recommend using lean bacon.
Eschalots (Shallots or French shallots)- I’ve seen the stores here call shallots ‘eschalots’ or ‘French shallots’. Eschalots look like small brown onions but are skinny and oval-shaped. They’re difficult to peel and are more expensive than other types of onions. They’re mild in flavour compared to onions. We can substitute eschalots with red or brown onions, but use half of the amount called for in recipes.
Chicken powder – I cannot live without Knorr Chicken Powder (not sponsored). It seriously enhances the taste in many of my savoury dishes. Although I highly recommend this brand, other chicken powder or chicken stock cubes would work as a substitute.
How to make Chicken Provencal
Step-by-step guide with photos
Season the chicken pieces all over with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-low or if using a heavy-based saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken in small batches, 2 or 3 pieces at a time. Place the chicken skin down and leave undisturbed and cook on each side for 5 minutes or until golden. The chicken will still be raw at this stage, but that’s okay. Transfer the chicken onto a plate and set aside for later.
Place the bacon in the same Dutch oven over medium-low heat and stir-fry until the fat has rendered. Remove the Dutch oven from the heat and carefully remove some of the fat using a spoon. There should only be approximately a tablespoon of fat left remaining in the Dutch oven with the bacon. Place the Dutch oven back over the heat and allow the oil and bacon to sizzle, then add in the garlic and eschalots. Stir-fry for 2 minutes or until fragrant and the eschalots have softened.
Pour in the wine, stirring until the alcohol smell disappears. Then add the stock, thyme, chicken powder, potatoes and salt. Allow the mixture to come to a boil then reduce the heat to low. Return the chicken into the Dutch oven and cover with a lid. Slow cook for 30 minutes
Mix the water and cornflour together in a small bowl to create a slurry. Pour the slurry into the dutch oven and give it a stir, then add the olives. Cook uncovered for another 15 minutes or until the potatoes have cooked through. If you want a thicker broth, make another slurry and pour it in, then cook for a further 5 minutes.
Leftovers – Allow the stew to cool down completely to room temperature, then transfer into a sealed container and store in the fridge. It’ll be good for up to 3 days.
A Third-Party Application calculated the calories and nutritional information. Please use this as an approximate guide only.
Cooking measurements are in Australian standard spoon and cup measurements.
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Cheers (I’ll drink to that) – Cat Tre
Chicken Provencal
Ingredients
- 1.2 kg chicken thigh cutlets (or 6 small cutlets) (NOTE 1)
- salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp mild olive oil
- 150 gm bacon (NOTE 2)
- 3 medium eschalot (finely diced) (NOTE 3)
- 6 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 cup dry white wine (NOTE 4)
- 2½ cup reduced salt chicken stock/broth
- 4 thyme sprigs
- 1 tsp chicken powder (or chicken stock powder/ stock cube) (NOTE 5)
- ½ tsp salt
- 600 gm potatoes (chopped into bite-size) (NOTE 6)
- ¾ cup whole green olives
- 2 tbsp cornflour or cornstarch (may need more to thicken stew)
- 2 tbsp water
Instructions
- Season the chicken pieces all over with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-low or if using a heavy-based saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken in small batches, 2 or 3 pieces at a time. Place the chicken skin down and leave undisturbed and cook on each side for 5 minutes or until golden. The chicken will still be raw at this stage, but that's okay. Transfer the chicken onto a plate and set aside for later.
- Place the bacon in the same Dutch oven over medium-low heat and stir-fry until the fat has rendered. Remove the Dutch oven from the heat and carefully remove some of the fat using a spoon. There should only be approximately a tablespoon of fat left remaining in the Dutch oven with the bacon. Place the Dutch oven back over the heat and allow the oil and bacon to sizzle, then add in the garlic and eschalots. Stir-fry for 2 minutes or until fragrant and the eschalots have softened.
- Pour in the wine, stirring until the alcohol smell disappears. Then add the stock, thyme, chicken powder, potatoes and salt. Allow the mixture to come to a boil then reduce the heat to low. Return the chicken into the Dutch oven and cover with a lid. Slow cook for 30 minutes.
- Mix the water and cornflour together in a small bowl to create a slurry. Pour the slurry into the dutch oven and give it a stir, then add the olives. Cook uncovered for another 15 minutes or until the potatoes have cooked through. If you want a thicker broth, make another slurry and pour it in, then cook for a further 5 minutes.
