Poularde au Bayard was a dish my parents mad when they had people over. It's a dish where all the work is in the preparation. It's slow food at its best.

I think the recipe came from a pamphlet my mom got from the local butcher, but the details are lost in history. I remember that we all loved this chicken dish, and it was a treat when we had it. I removed most of the butter, because I don't need to have my meals dripping with butter. In my opinion there's no loss of flavor.

Ingredients:

1 large chicken
3 carrots
4 tomatoes
4 onions
2 bay leaves
1 garlic clove
24 whole cloves
1 cup white wine
butter and olive oil for searing
½ teaspoon tarragon
½ teaspoon basil
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon rosemary
½ teaspoon thyme
½ teaspoon garlic powder or a garlic clove
salt & pepper

Directions:

Peal the carrots and the onions and wash the tomatoes. Cut the carrots into 1 inch pieces. Press the cloves in the onions, 6-8 in each.

Clean and pad the chicken dry. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add butter and oil to a large pot. It should fit the chicken and all the vegetables. I use a 6.5 liter (6.8 QT) pot. Brown the chicken in the butter/oil. Get a good sear on it for flavor and color. Take the chicken out of the pot again.

Put the tomatoes, carrots and the onions in the bottom of the pot with all the spices. Add garlic, bay leaves and the wine and the chicken on top and put the lid on. Let it simmer for 45-60 until tender (170° F)

Carefully take up the chicken and vegetables. Thicken the sauce with cornstarch in cold water, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Carve the chicken and serve it with the vegetables and boiled potatoes.

The Danish version:

Poularde au Bayard - Kylling i hvidvin

Ingredienser:

1 stor kylling
3 gulerødder
4 tomater
4 løg
2 laurbærblade
1 fed hvidløg
24 hele nelliker
2,5 dl hvidvin (jeg brugte næsten en hel flaske)
Smør og olie til stegning
½ tsk estragon
½ tsp basilikum
½ tsk paprika
½ tsk rosemarin
½ tsp timian
½ tsp hvidløgspulver eller 1 fed hvidløg
salt & peber

Kyllingen rengøres og tørres godt og drysses med salt. Derefter brunes kyllingen, i smør/olie og tages op igen. Nu kommes de hele tomater og gulerødderne skåret i skiver med i bunden af gryden sammen med laurbærblade, hvidløg og løgene, der har fået stukket nelliker i sig. Hvidvinen tilsættes. Kyllingen lægges ligeledes ned i gryden og steges mør med låg over. Dryp tit med skyen. Saucen jævnes med maizena og evt. Lidt fløde. Kyllingen parteres og serveres med små kartofler