In winter, we want comfort. Once the holidays are almost over, the plate doesn’t become dull and boring. You can also add flakes, except that these are now called “spices”, “cheese”, “marinade”! It’s a simple question of point of view. For my part, I love chicken whatever the season and the seasonings, I simply adapt my recipes.
Recipe no. 1: Normandy-style free-range chicken
I rarely cook “with sauce”, yet this recipe from Héloïse Brion aka Miss Maggie’s Kitchen, which combines cream + cider + broth to spice up the chicken, is close to perfection this season!
How do we do ? Season 8 thighs with salt and pepper. Melt 30 g of butter in a frying pan, brown the thighs for 4 to 5 minutes until they are nicely browned on each side. We reserve.
Peel and slice 2 onions and 2 stalks of celery. Cook gently in the frying pan until they are soft, then add 2 cloves of minced garlic. Pour 48 cl of cider into the frying pan. As soon as it simmers, add 10 cl of broth (I prefer the beef one), 2 bay leaves and 3 sprigs of thyme. Add the chicken, cover and put in the oven preheated to 180°C for 30 to 35 minutes. After this time, remove the chicken, add 2 tbsp. tablespoons of crème fraîche and 2 tbsp. teaspoon of whole-grain mustard. Mix over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes to thicken the sauce. We put the chicken again in the frying pan to coat it with sauce.
The plus of this recipe
The sauce ! It does everything in this recipe, and when the days are cold and humid, it would be a shame to deprive yourself of the winter stews that have delighted gourmets from all regions for generations.
Discover the recipe for Normandy-style free-range chicken
Recipe #2: Roast chicken with honey and spices
I already told you about it previously, I love spices AND roast chicken! To complete the story, I also include a perfect ingredient when it’s cold: honey.
How do we do ? We mix 2 tbsp. tablespoons of olive oil, 30 g of liquid honey, the zest and juice of 1 lemon, 2 cm of grated ginger, 1 clove of minced garlic, 1 tbsp. teaspoon of cinnamon powder and 1 tsp. teaspoon of green anise seeds.
In a baking dish, brush 1 whole free-range chicken with the spiced honey. Place around 800 g of small whole potatoes. Add salt and pepper. Cook for 1 hour in an oven preheated to 190°C, turning the chicken halfway through cooking and mixing the potatoes.
The plus of this recipe
With its many virtues – antibacterial in particular – honey is good, on all levels. And if we add cinnamon to that – antibacterial, antiviral, and antiseptic – this roast chicken is not only delicious, but also becomes medicine (or almost).
Discover the recipe for roast chicken with honey and spices
Recipe no. 3: Tagine-style chicken with spices and dried fruits
This recipe – I’m not going to tell you about salads – is a dish that I often make “by eye”. All cooks will tell you – or not – sometimes it’s in approximation that we create the best dishes!
How do we do ? Brown 1 onion and 1 clove of minced garlic in a casserole dish with a little oil, add chicken thighs and drumsticks and brown them on each side. Remove the chicken and add spices generously. Usually, I use ras-el-hanout, ginger and cinnamon. Leave the spices to brown/grill for a few moments so that they perfume the room. We put the chicken back in the casserole and add soft dried apricots and pitted prunes. We add salt, pepper, then hot water – or better, broth – so that the chicken is half submerged. Cover and let simmer for at least 30 minutes. Remove the chicken from the casserole, and if the sauce seems liquid at the end of cooking, do not hesitate to reduce it over very high heat.
Advice
10 to 15 minutes before the end of the recipe, I like to add merguez cheese cut in half, previously browned in the pan, to the dish.
The plus of this recipe
Dried fruits which transform the cooking liquid into a syrupy and delicious sauce.
