Taste Buds

Ah, bonjour to you all nice people in Tribland villages I’m hoping this menu sees you well during these difficult times and hope also you had a safe and relaxing Christmas time, non? A little while ago I had occasion to visit my great aunt Edith at the celebration of her 90th birthday. We travelled to her family home in the small town of Libourne, in the Gironde, east of Bordeaux, where she lives for most of her long life in a charming old house near the Pont de Pierre, on the banks of the La Dordogne river; enjoying the beautiful Pomerol wines produced in the surrounding vineyards of arguably this most famous of all French wine producing regions. At 90, and a former acclaimed mezzo soprano, she is still very active and credits her love of fine wine as keeping her fit and healthy. Aunt Edith cooked us a hearty plate of her own recipe for our first night’s dinner, accompanied by a couple of bottles of Ch La Violette from her own extensive cellar and her still-amazing rendition of Purcell’s ‘If Music be the Food of Love’ whist cooking in her kitchen! It is said the recipe was first made by the great chef Georges Auguste Escoffier when he worked briefly in this region of France in the late 19th century, and has been served in local bistros and restaurants for many years since. Always to enjoy for the cook as it is easy to create and serves well for both formal and informal suppers.

Ah, bonjour to you all nice people in Tribland villages I’m hoping this menu sees you well during these difficult times and hope also you had a safe and relaxing Christmas time, non? Aunt Edith’s Chicken Supper

For four: 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (1½ lbs total), or 1½lbs chicken thighs; salt and pepper; ¼ cup all-purpose flour; 2 tbsp unsalted butter; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 2 large eating apples, cored and cut into ¼ inch-thick, unpeeled slices; 1 medium onion, finely chopped; 2 tsp minced fresh thyme (or ¾ tsp dried); ¾ cup apple cider; ¾ cup chicken stock; ¾ cup heavy cream; 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar; 1 tbsp minced fresh chives.  Slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally to form four flat fillets. (Skip this step if using chicken thighs; instead, using the palm of your hand, gently flatten the thighs so that they are an even ½ inch thickness.) Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season all over with 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper. Spread the flour in a shallow dish. Dredge the chicken in the flour to coat, shaking to remove excess; transfer to a plate and set aside.  Melt 1 tbsp of the butter with 1 tbsp of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick frying pan over mediumhigh heat.  Add the apples to the pan and season with ¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Cook the apples, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a second plate; set aside.  Melt the remaining 1 tbsp butter with the remaining tbsp oil in the now-empty skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken and cook until lightly browned but not quite cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Set the partially cooked chicken on another plate and set aside.  Add the onion, thyme, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ tsp pepper to now-empty pan and cook over medium heat until the onion is softened and browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the cider and stock to the skillet, increase the heat to high, and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook, uncovered, until the liquid is reduced by approximately half, about 5 minutes.  Add the cream and bring to a boil. Cook until sauce has thickened slightly, 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the chicken and any accumulated juices back to the pan, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes.  Stir in the vinegar and apples. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning, if necessary.  Spoon the sauce and apples over the chicken, sprinkle with the chives. I serve normally with par boiled then roasted new potatoes, asparagus or finely sliced savoy cabbage sauteed in white wine and cream cheese. Bon chance, Pierre x