Chicken Provencale With Star Anise Food

PROVENCAL CHICKEN WITH PASTIS

Steps:

• Rub chicken all over the salt and pepper. If possible, let sit overnight in the refrigerator, although it can be prepared right away.
• In a Dutch oven or similar vessel, add enough olive oil so it covers the bottom of the pan. Over medium-high heat, when the oil is hot, brown the chicken pieces on all sides, turning them only when one side is brown. (Constant turning won't encourage browning as much as letting them stay in one place until browned.) If your pot isn't large enough, fry them in two batches and remove the first chicken pieces to a bowl while you brown the second. You may need to add additional olive oil to the pot while browning or in between batches.
• Once the chicken is browned, wipe excess oil from the pot. Deglaze pan with about a third of the pastis, scraping the bottom of the pot with a flat-edged spatula to incorporate any dark bits.
• Add half of the tomatoes to the pot, then the chicken, and any juices that may have collected in the bowl, the garlic, then the rest of the tomatoes. Pour in the rest of the pastis, and bring to a boil. Add 1 quart (1l) water. (See headnote about how much water to add if not using potatoes.)
• Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. While the chicken is cooking, slice the potatoes into pieces 1/3-inch (1cm) thick.
• Stir everything in the pot gently to mix everything together, then add the potatoes, half the parsley, and the sugar, sprinkling a bit of salt over the potatoes.
• Continue to cook, uncovered, basting the potatoes with the liquid in the pot while everything is cooking, until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 30 minute, depending on the variety of potatoes and the chicken.
• Taste the sauce, and add sugar (if desired) and more salt if it needs it. If you'd like, you could give the sauce a small squeeze of lemon, to add a nice note of acidity to the sauce.

CHICKEN SIMMERED IN SOY AND STAR ANISE

Steps:

• Place the ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce, cooking wine or sherry, star anise, cinnamon stick and sugar in a frying pan over high heat and bring to a boil.
• Add the chicken and cook for 6-7 minutes on each side or until cooked through.
• Add the greens to the pan and cook for 2 minutes or until tender.
• Place chicken and greens on serving plates and spoon over pan juices as sauce.
• Serve with steamed rice.

CHICKEN PROVENCAL WITH STAR ANISE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Blanch onions in pot of boiling water 2 minutes.
• Use slotted spoon, transfer onions to bowl of ice water, cool for 5 minutes, drain and peel.
• Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large ovenproof pot over high heat.
• Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.
• Work in batches, sear chicken until golden brown, abotu 12 minutes each batch, transfer chicken to plate.
• Drain all but 3 tbsp of dripping, add remaining oil, mushroom, onions and saute for 7 minutes.
• Add star anise, bay leaves and garlic, saute for 3 minutes.
• Add wine and tomatoes, boil until sauce is reduced by half, stir in chicken broth and return chicken to pot.
• press to submerge.
• Cover pot and place in oven for about 1 hour.
• Transfer chicken to plate, tent with foil to keep warm.
• Boil sauce until reduced to about 7 cups.
• Mix butter and flour in a small bowl then gradually whisk the mixture into sauce.
• Simmer until thickens.
• Add olives, season with salt and pepper, add chicken back to heat through then serve.

ROASTED CHICKEN WITH STAR ANISE SAUCE, GINGER CARROTS AND SNAP PEAS

Steps:

• For the chicken: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Clean the chicken and sprinkle the entire bird, inside and out, with salt and pepper. Stuff the bird with the oranges, garlic, onions, celery, rosemary and thyme. Place the chicken on a rack in a roasting pan and bake for 20 minutes. If the chicken is browning too quickly, turn the oven down to 375 degrees F and cook until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165 degrees, about 1 hour 20 minutes.
• Remove the chicken from the oven, tent with foil and let rest 30 minutes. While the chicken is cooking, work on the garnishes.
• For the snow peas and carrots: Fill a large pot with water, season with salt and bring to a boil. Prepare an ice bath by placing ice cubes and water in a bowl. Set aside. Dump the snap peas into the boiling water and cook until al dente. Be sure to test the peas as they are cooking to prevent them from overcooking. Use a slotted spoon to remove the snow peas from the water and plunge into the ice bath. Remove from the ice when cool and reserve until service.
• Put the carrots, ginger, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons butter and brown sugar in a saute pan and add water until the carrots are barely covered. The carrots should be in a single layer. Put on high heat and cook until all the water is nearly evaporated. Cover and set aside for service.
• For the star anise sauce: Combine the stock, soy sauce, anise seeds, honey, vinegar, sesame oil and thyme and reduce until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
• Once the chicken has rested, carve the bird by removing the legs from the thighs and slicing the breasts in half. Pour any juices that have collected in the pan into the sauce and hold warm over low heat.
• To finish the snap peas, heat a saute pan over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon butter. Once it is bubbly, add the garlic and snap peas. Season with salt and pepper. To finish the carrots, gently reheat over medium heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter to moisten.
• Once everything is hot, serve a piece of white and dark meat garnished with the carrots, snap peas and drizzled with the sauce.

CHICKEN PROVENCALE

Steps:

• Season chicken generously with salt and pepper.
• In a large frying pan saute the chicken in the butter until golden brown on both sides.
• Put on a plate and keep warm.
• Add the olive oil to the same pan and saute the onions and garlic until soft.
• Add the remaining ingredients and stir together.
• Return the chicken to the pan.
• Cover and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

CHICKEN PROVENçAL WITH OLIVES & ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Tip the chicken into a large bowl or dish and add the garlic, wine, 2 tbsp oil and the thyme. Season with 2 tbsp flaky salt and mix well until completely coated. Cover and chill for at least a few hours, but preferably overnight.
• Heat grill to high. Arrange the plum tomatoes on a tray, cut-side up, drizzle with the remaining 1 tbsp oil and grill for 15 mins, or until charred. Set aside.
• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large casserole dish or flameproof roasting tin. Scrape the marinade off the chicken pieces back into the bowl and fry the chicken in batches for about 15 mins until the skin is golden and crisp - watch out, the oil has a tendency to sputter. Remove the chicken from the dish and pour off the oil. Place the dish back on the heat, add the tomato purée and cook for 2 mins, then add the herbs, fennel seeds, remaining marinade and chicken stock. Bring up to the boil, add the grilled tomatoes, then simmer gently for 20 mins.
• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 4. Nestle the chicken pieces back into the dish, then stir them in to coat in the sauce. Scatter over the celery, button onions and artichokes. Bring up to a simmer, pop the lid on, then transfer to the oven and cook for 1 hr. Remove the lid and stir in the olives. Season to taste and leave everything to settle for 15 mins before serving straight from the dish.

STAR ANISE ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Put the chicken in a large roasting tin, then put a few onion slices, garlic cloves, a small piece of the ginger and 1 star anise inside the chicken.
• Brush chicken all over with the sesame oil. Pour over the stock, then scatter all of the remaining veg into the tin. Grate the rest of the ginger and garlic over the chicken and veg, and add the remaining star anise to the stock. Cover the chicken with foil and roast for 1 hr. Remove the foil twice to baste the chicken with the liquid.
• Mix the soy and sugar together. Remove the foil and pour over the soy mixture, then return to the oven for 15-20 mins. Meanwhile, put the potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, cover with a lid and cook for 10 mins. Set aside and keep warm.
• When the chicken is cooked through - the juices should run clear when a sharp knife is inserted into the thickest part of the thigh - remove from the tin and rest on a plate covered with foil.
• Pour a ladleful of the juices from the tin into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Mix the cornflour with 2 tbsp cold water and add to the pan. Heat, stirring continuously, until thickened. Strain the gravy into a jug. Stir and press the onions to squeeze out any extra juices. Drain the potatoes and mash with the olive oil. Serve half the chicken with the veg and half the gravy. Save the rest for Chicken, vegetable & noodle soup (see 'goes well right', right)