Ingredients

• 12 pieces of chicken (2 chickens cut each in 6 pieces)
• 2 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 ½ tsp. black pepper
• 4 oz. (100g) all-purpose flour
• 2 ½ floz. (75ml) olive oil
• 12 medium potatoes (red holds better when boiled)*
• 8 plum tomatoes
• 3 zucchini
• 3 eggplant
• 3 red peppers
• 2 bulbs of garlic
• 2 big spanish onions
• 8 oz. (226g) pitted black olives (Kalamata are perfect but you can chose according to your taste)
• 8 Tbsp. olive oil
• A few sprigs of fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• Herbs of Provence
• 15 fl oz. (450ml, 2 cups) white wine (more or less)*
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Step 1

Blot the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour. Heat olive oil in a large cast iron pot. When the oil is hot sauté the chicken on the skin side first until it is golden brown. Turn the chicken and continue sauté until golden brown too. Set the chicken aside in a bowl.

Step 2

Peel and cut the potatoes in half. Boil them in salted water. Drain them and keep it warm on the side.

Step 3

Clean, core and dice the remaining vegetables. Sweat the onions in olive oil in the same pot. When translucent add the peppers and the eggplants. Mix it to avoid sticking on the bottom. Add the zucchinis and sauté until it becomes just soft. Add the tomatoes, the olives, the garlic cloves, salt, pepper and herbs.

Step 4

Lay the chicken on top of this Ratatouille. Pour just enough wine to make a thick sauce, but do not drown the vegetable. You may not have to add wine at all if the vegetables are wet enough.

Step 5

Cover and cook for 30 to 45 minutes, until the chicken if fully cooked.

Step 6

Add the cooked potatoes 10 minutes before the end to warm them up into the juice of the stew.

*Additional options:
You may want to use fennel seeds into the stew. You can then put some Pastis (anise liquor) instead of the wine into the stew.
You can also serve this chicken with rice instead of the potatoes or some rustic olive bread.

Recipe courtesy of Isabelle Lapin.