PROVENçAL CHICKEN

Provençal Chicken image

Yield serves 6 as a main course

Number Of Ingredients 16

1 cup toasted bread crumbs or panko (Japanese bread crumbs), finely ground
2 teaspoons herbes de Provence
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
3 bone-in chicken breasts, halved crosswise
3 bone-in chicken thighs, halved crosswise
1/4 cup olive oil
6 shallots, peeled and halved
8 unpeeled cloves garlic
12 pitted prunes
3 tablespoons picholine or other green olives with pits
1 tablespoon capers, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 cup dry rosé or white wine
1 tablespoon honey
1 orange, cut into 6 wedges, juice reserved

Steps:

Prepare a medium heat fire (325°F) in a wood-fired oven or cooker. If using a wood-fired oven, keep a small fire (one small log) going in the far left rear of the oven to maintain the heat throughout the cooking process.
Combine the bread crumbs, herbes de Provence, the 1 teaspoon salt, and the 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl. Pat the chicken dry, then toss in the bread-crumb mixture, and set aside on a baking sheet.
Heat the olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet or shallow clay baking dish over medium heat and brown the chicken on all sides. Transfer the chicken to a shallow clay baking dish or ceramic-coated cast-iron cookware. Add the shallots, garlic, prunes, olives, capers, and fennel seeds. Combine the wine and honey plus any reserved orange juice and pour the liquid over the chicken. Add more salt and pepper. Cover tightly with a heavy ovenproof lid or aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 45 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and the mixture is bubbly. Uncover and place the orange wedges, skin side up, around the chicken, then cook for another 15 minutes to caramelize the chicken. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.