RECIPE
FROM
ONE
POT
WONDERS
BY
LINDSEY
BAREHAM
(PENGUIN
£16.99)
Pouletantiboise
Slice2lbofonionsandput
themintoa deepcasserole
withahalf-tumblerofolive
oil, a littlesaltanda pinch
of cayennepepper.
Ontopoftheonionsplace
acleanedchickenseasoned
withsaltandpepper. Cover
thecasseroleandcookvery
gentlyintheovenforabout
anhouranda half.Theonions
mustnotbrown,butmelt
graduallyalmosttoa purée,
asina pissaladina.Add
a littlemoreoilduring
cookingif necessary.
Whenthechickenistender,
carveit intopiecesandserve
ona dishwiththeonionsall
round,garnishedwithafew
stonedblackolivesand
squaresofbread, friedinoil.
If thechickenisofthe
elderly,boilingvariety,it can
becutintojointsbefore
cooking,sothatit willnot
takesolongtocook,although
wheneverpossibleI thinkthat
chickensshouldalwaysbe
cookedwholetopreservethe
flavourandjuices,andcarved
intojointsforserving.
FromA BookofMediterranean
Food,firstpublishedin 1950
THE ELIZABETH DAVID ORIGINAL Pouletantiboise,
LindseyBareham’sway
SERVES4-6.HANDS-ONTIME 20 MIN,
OVENTIME 90 MINThisrecipe,whichI’ve
adaptedfromElizabethDavid’s
(seeleft),isknownas‘buried
chicken’inmyhouseandisone
ofthesimplest,mostdelicious
waysofcookinga wholechicken.
Thebirdnestlesina deep
casseroleonanimpossiblylarge
moundoffinelyslicedonion.
Theonlyseasoningisoliveoil,
saltanda pinchofcayenne
pepper.Duringcooking,the
onionsflopdowntoa purée
imbuedwithchickenjuicesand
oliveoil.Thissweetsauceis
servedoverorsurroundedby
thejointedbirdwitha few
stonedblackolivesandtriangles
ofparsley-edgedfriedbread.
I serveitwithmashedpotato.MAKE
AHEADOnce cooled, any leftovers
will keep chilled in an
airtight container for up to
2 days. Serve at room temperature
or gently reheat until piping hot.
FOOD
TEAM’S
TIPCheck the chicken halfway
through and if the onions
seem dry and are taking
a long time to cook down, add about
150ml water, re-cover with the lid,
then continue as in the recipe.- 6 tbsp olive oil
- 6-7 large onions (about 900g),
finely sliced - Pinch cayenne pepper
- 1.7kg organic/free-range chicken
- 4 slices dense-textured bread
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh
flatleaf parsley - 12-18 small black olives,
preferably niçoise
YOU’LL ALSO NEED...
- Large, deep casserole (with a lid)
1 Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/
gas 4. Pour 2 tbsp of the oil into a
casserole that can just accommodate
the onions and chicken. Pile in the
sliced onions, then season lavishly
with salt and a pinch of cayenne
pepper. Pour another 2 tbsp of the
oil over the onions and stir well.
2 Season the chicken all over with
salt and pepper, then put breast-side
down, on top of the onions, pressing
down firmly. Pour the remaining olive
oil over the chicken. Cover – if the
lid doesn’t fit, use baking paper
or foil and perch the lid on top;
as the onions melt, the lid will
position itself properly.
3 Cook on the middle rack of the
oven for 90 minutes (see tip).
Remove from the oven but leave
covered for 10 minutes, then lift the
chicken onto a plate for carving.
Carve into pieces rather than slices,
discarding the now flabby skin, and
arrange on a platter covered with or
surrounded by onion – or, if you
prefer, turn the chicken breast-side
up and carve whole at the table.
4 Meanwhile, make the fried bread.
Spoon some of the oil from the
casserole into a frying pan and
warm. Remove the crusts from the
bread, slice in half diagonally, then
add to the hot oil and fry until
golden. Dip an edge of each piece
of fried bread in the onion juices,
then the parsley so it sticks.
Garnish the chicken with the
olives and fried bread triangles.
PER SERVING (FOR 6) 474kcal s,
19g fat (3.5g saturated),
46.3g protein,
27g carbs (9.9g sugars),
0.8g salt, 4.8g fibre
WINE EDITOR’S
CHOICE
A southern
French white
from the Rhône
Valley is the one
to go for here.