Chicken Provençal
Serves 2
Cooking Time 3 to 4 hours on Low
Slow Cooker Size 3½ to 7 Quarts
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: A French classic, chicken Provençal traditionally calls on low, slow heat to produce
chicken that’s fall-off-the-bone tender and a garlicky, tomatoey sauce that’s thick
and rich-tasting. We thought this dish was the ideal candidate for the slow cooker
and would make an elegant dinner for two. Trading the usual whole bird for bone-in
chicken thighs was an obvious first move to scale down our dish; we preferred thighs
over breasts for the way they held their own against the robustly flavored sauce.
Removing the skin prior to cooking kept the sauce from becoming greasy, and a spoonful
of tomato paste amped up the rich, savory notes of the dish. Canned whole tomatoes,
processed until smooth, gave us the makings of a bright-tasting, nicely clingy sauce.
The potent blend of garlic, oregano, white wine, and niçoise olives rounded out our
homage to classic French fare. We like serving this dish with polenta, but rice and
crusty bread also make good accompaniments. See the sidebar that follows the recipe.
|
1 |
cup chopped onion |
|
4 |
teaspoons minced garlic |
|
1 |
tablespoon olive oil |
|
1 |
tablespoon tomato paste |
|
⅛ |
teaspoon dried oregano |
|
1 |
(14.5-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes |
|
3 |
tablespoons dry white wine |
|
4 |
(5- to 7-ounce) bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed |
|
|
Salt and pepper |
|
2 |
tablespoons pitted niçoise or kalamata olives, chopped coarse |
|
2 |
tablespoons minced fresh parsley |
1. Lightly spray inside of slow cooker with vegetable oil spray. Microwave onion, garlic, oil, tomato paste, and oregano in bowl, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes; transfer to prepared slow cooker.
2. Pulse tomatoes and their juice in food processor until almost smooth, about 10 pulses. Stir tomatoes and wine into slow cooker. Season chicken with salt and pepper and nestle into slow cooker. Cover and cook until chicken is tender, 3 to 4 hours on low.
3. Transfer chicken to serving dish. Stir olives and parsley into sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce over chicken and serve.