“An embarrassment of riches” is one of my very favorite phrases I learned in a high school English class. We were deep into learning about allusions, metaphors, aphorisms; all while ferreting out the dirty words in Canterbury Tales and clutching our pearls to Tess of the d’Urbervilles (re-read it if you don’t believe me). The definition of a good time!!!
Anyway, I’ve been thinking that the phrase holds up particularly well now. Spring is a time of richesse if ever there was one. Jasmine in the air, azaleas on display, the tonic of a chill breeze? Ramps in season, the new warmth of a charcoal grill? What an embarrassment of riches in quaran-time.
FOR WHEN YOUR FANCY LIGHTLY TURNS TO THOUGHTS OF INDULGENCE
Tom Ford doesn’t make many things that are useful for everyone. But he has delivered some tips for looking good on Zoom/video conference provider of choice; they are good, vain tips and you should follow them.
“‘Every day for six years, I brushed my teeth, I got in my car, and I looked for pickles.’”
BOUILLABAISSE, BUT MAKE IT CHICKEN
Traditional bouillabaisse, as you may know, is a French fish stew. Frankly, it’s a romantic recipe whether chicken or chicken of the sea. If you really want to go down a rabbit hole about bouillabaisse, read this wild 1962 piece from the New Yorker.
Anyway, this dish goes by the name of “chicken-in-a-bowl” in our house, and I like to make it when one of us has had a Very Bad or Very Good Day. It has 2 special, critical ingredients you may not already have on-hand: saffron and Pernod. Both are worth getting for this. The finished result will not taste like licorice, I promise.
Prep time: 1-1.5 hours
Cook time: 1-1.5 hours
INGREDIENTS:
1 tbsp. olive oil
4-5 bone-in chicken thighs
Half a bulb of fennel, sliced
3 ribs of celery, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
1 large white onion, diced
A mess of minced garlic
½ cup white wine (not sweet! You will regret that!)
½ cup Pernod
1 ~14 oz. can (the smaller one) diced tomatoes, strained. Whole will work fine if you’re willing to squeeze ‘em up by hand
3 cups chicken stock
1 hefty pinch of saffron
A bouquet garni of fresh thyme, rosemary, sage (all tied up). If you don’t have all 3, just thyme is fine. If you don’t have that, pinches of the dried variety will do.
S&P to taste
½ pound quartered potatoes (the small Yukon Golds work best here, but I’ve used different varieties to similar success)
Sliced baguette for dipping (I don’t really bake. I don’t have a sourdough starter. You’re gonna have to find that guidance elsewhere.)
WHAT TO DO:
Pat chicken as dry as you can get it, salting & pepping liberally. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven, or big pot with a lid, over medium-high heat. Working in batches, start browning the chicken until golden brown on both sides.
Add the sliced onion, celery, carrot, and fennel to the pan and sweat until the vegetables start to brown. Add some more salt & pepper as you go, to taste.
Add white wine and Pernod and reduce until almost completely evaporated then add the strained tomatoes, chicken stock, bouquet garni/herbs if you have them, and saffron and bring to a simmer. Taste as you go, take a big sniff and govern yourself accordingly.
Add the chicken to the simmering broth. Cover and cook for about 20-30 minutes; add the potatoes and continue cooking until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is fully cooked, another 20-25 minutes. Throw some more herbs to top if you want. Even basil would work. I’m not hateful like Alison Roman.