Chicken Provencal

This Chicken Provencal recipe is easy to make and packed full of lovely flavours.

I'd defrosted some chicken with the intention of making a chicken Tagine and then realised I couldn't actually be bothered! So, what to cook, what to cook?

As there were olives, a bell pepper and a courgette in the fridge that needed to be used up, I made this up as I went along. Do you do that, make recipes up?

I think the best dinners are made up with what you think goes and what you feel like eating at the time.

I will say you really do need good quality tinned tomatoes otherwise the sauce will lack in flavour. I used tinned cherry tomatoes as they're really lovely and sweet.

If you're in the UK then I recommend Tesco Finest because the juice is nice and thick.

I think this would be excellent to at a dinner party, it's so easy to make. You could serve with new potatoes and fine green beans to fancy it up a bit.

Yield: 2-3Author: Jan Bennett

Sort of Chicken Provencal

Since I had olives, a bell pepper, and a courgette in the fridge that needed to be used up; I made this up as I went along. I think the best dinners are made up with what you think goes and what you feel like eating at the time.

ingredients:

a couple of glugs of olive oil

2 onions - sliced

1/2 a green bell pepper - sliced thinly

1/2 to 1 courgette (zucchini) - sliced then halved into half-moons

3 cloves garlic - finely chopped

1 tablespoon of capers - rinsed well and dried on kitchen paper

a pinch or two of sugar

1x400g tin of cherry tomatoes

a pinch of dried basil

a pinch of dried thyme

a pinch of dried oregano

150ml white wine

a small handful of pitted green olives

2 skinless chicken breast fillets - cut into bite-sized cubes

a dash of lemon juice

black pepper to taste

instructions

Preheat your oven to 180C/350F/or Gas 4

Heat a glug of olive oil in a large pan, then add the onions, green pepper, courgette, garlic and capers.  Season with a pinch of salt, some pepper and one pinch of sugar - you can add another pinch later if you think the sauce needs it.

Pop a lid on and leave to sweat over a very low heat for about 8-10 minutes - give it a stir now and then.  Once the onions have softened.

Once that's done tip in the cherry tomatoes, basil, thyme and oregano, along with the wine and olives. Give it a few twists of freshly ground black pepper and a good stir.  Cook uncovered for another 20 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced and is much thicker.

You will have to stir regularly though to prevent the sauce from burning. When it's done turn off the heat and put a lid on.

Now, on with the chicken:

In another large pan, heat another glug of olive oil brown the chicken for a couple of minutes - moving then about in the pan.  You just want them slightly coloured.  Put the browned chicken in an ovenproof dish and pour over the sauce you made.

Give it all a good stir and put a lid on.

Cook in your preheated oven or one hour, by which time the chicken should be nicely cooked through and the sauce will be lovely.

Once it's done, remove from the oven and stir through a splash of lemon juice.  Have a taste and adjust the seasoning - you might want a very tiny bit of salt, and perhaps another pinch of sugar.

Serve immediately with nice crusty bread for dipping and mopping.

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