Nutritional information,  Savoury

Roast chicken with chanterelles and way TMI

I am about to embark on my final week of a three-week thermal cure in an attempt to relieve my knackered back. Handily, we live just half an hour away from one of the most renown and effective thermal resorts for my sort of problem in France. For two hours a day, I’m smothered in thick, sticky, mineral-rich mud, the texture of which is not dissimilar to melted chocolate, and then immersed in delicate champagne-like bubbles of pine and mineral-infused water. And then the really tough part: the relaxing therapeutic massage. Most of the other patrons, although fit enough to withstand the cure which is actually pretty tiring, have various medical complaints, details of which they are only too happy to divulge and contemplate. Yesterday the man in the massage booth next to mine spent a full 20 minutes waxing lyrical about his extensive collection of, frankly, alarming ailments. I was quickly on more familiar terms with his offal — or what was left of it — than I might ideally have liked. The thing that never ceases to amaze me about the French is the way they consider their maladies to be badges of honour and, as such, refer to them in, if not hushed nonetheless reverential tones. Unfortunately, the massage seemed to have a purging effect on him and the medical technicalities became increasingly gory and colourful. The overall, and in my case faint-making, effect was embellished by the fact that the masseur felt compelled to repeat everything he said REALLY LOUDLY, presumably on the grounds that she shouldn’t be the only one to benefit: ‘So you only have quarter of a kidney left on one side, half a liver and your entrails were scattered all over the operating table…’ I’m so glad I was lying down.
The combination of rain and sun that we’ve had recently means that chanterelle mushrooms are especially plentiful at the moment. Their delicate, slightly earthy flavour is a perfect complement to roast chicken and they are a surprisingly rich source of vitamin D, but also vitamin C and potassium.
Ingredients (serves 6)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 chicken, gutted
200g fresh chanterelles
4 shallots, peeled and sliced
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
a handful of fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
Sea salt, freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon piment d’espelette or paprika
200ml dry white wine
100ml chicken stock
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Pour the olive oil into a large casserole dish (dutch oven) and add the chicken, chanterelles, shallots, garlic, herbs, carrots and seasoning. Gently brown the chicken on all sides over a medium heat and then add the wine and stock, which should be brought to a simmer. Put the lid on the dish and cook in the oven for just over an hour, or until the ‘sauce’ is beginning to caramelise slightly. You might want to remove the lid for the last ten minutes of cooking. I served with a potato and butternut squash purée and broccoli roasted with orange.

4 Comments

  • apuginthekitchen

    Oh my the spa treatment sounds both therapeutic and deliciously relaxing. I think I would like to forgo the description the gentleman next to you was describing but oh my goodness that mud bath and soak in the mineral water sounds heavenly. Your chicken dish also sounds just perfect, love a good tender braised chicken and the chanterelles are a wonderful accompaniment along with the other vegetables. It looks delicious.Hugs to Hugo and Java from Percy and I.

    • The Healthy Epicurean

      It is so therapeutic and is really doing my back good. We’re so lucky to have access to these kinds of treatments in France… I think Hugo would benefit at the moment actually because his arthritis is playing up a tiny bit 😉 Hugs to you and Percy.

  • Sarah

    I hope all the effort has been beneficial for your back. Your own giblets have probably been traumatised into behaving themselves.
    And bon appetiti!

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