Ingredients for 4 Servings

Main Dish
Free-range chicken (放し飼いチキン / Hanashigai chikin) 1 whole
Onions (玉ねぎ / Tamanegi) 1 1/2
Sun-dried plums (日干しのプラム / Hiboshi-no-puramu) 90 g
Cherry tomatoes (プチトマト / Puchi tohmahto) 6-8
Wheat flour (小麦粉 / Komugiko) 1 tbsp
Oil for frying (揚げ油 / Ageh abura) As needed
Salt (塩/ Shio) To taste
White pepper (白胡椒 / Shiro koshō) To taste (whole peppercorns)

Stock
Chicken bones (鶏ガラ / Torigara) From 1 whole chicken
Onion (玉ねぎ / Tamanegi) 1
Carrots (にんじん / Ninjin) 1 1/2
Garlic (にんにく / Ninniku) 1 head
Oil for frying (揚げ油 / Ageh abura) As needed
Rosemary To taste
Thyme To taste
Water As described in the text below
Salt To taste

How to Make

The Stock (One day ahead of time)
1. Cut the chicken into 4 to 6 portions. Strip off the fat and skin, and remove the bones. Set the meat apart from the bones, skin, and fat.
2. Chop the chicken carcass into at least 8 pieces.
3. Wash and cut the onion into 8 pieces without peeling it. Do the same for the carrots. Cut the garlic head in half lengthwise.
4. Place a large pot or casserole (cocotte) on high heat. Add a bit of oil to the pot and then add the chicken bones, skin and fat. Sear these to a dark, nearly burnt (but not burnt), brown. Now add the onion, carrots, and garlic and brown these as well. Add a dash of oil, some rosemary and thyme, and a pinch of salt. Reduce to medium heat and continue to cook until the vegetables soften.
5. Add enough cold water to completely cover the contents of the pot. Simmer until the water is reduced to 1/4 the original volume.
6. Strain the stock twice. Use a large-mesh strainer the first time and a small mesh strainer the second time. This is to obtain a clear stock. Allow the stock to cool and then put it into a refrigerator overnight. The next day remove the fat, which will have hardened at the surface.

Note: This technique is the basis of all brown stocks and can be used with not only chicken but any kind (lamb, veal, beef, etc.) of bones or meat scraps. Keep in mind that the slower you cook your stock the richer will be the taste.

The Main Dish
1. Prepare the aromatic garnish. Begin by cutting the onion in half and then cutting each half into thin slices. Cut the cherry tomatoes into halves or quarters, depending on the size of the tomatoes.
2. Drizzle some cooking oil into the cocotte (casserole) and place the cocotte on high heat. Season each piece of chicken with a pinch of salt and then put these into the cocotte skin side down. When these are nice and brown turn them over and brown the other side over medium heat. Remove the browned chicken from the cocotte.
3. Add the onions to the cocotte with a pinch of salt. Cook the onions until they are translucent, then add the tomatoes and stir for 1 minute.
4. Add 1 tbsp of flour and mix it in well. Add 250 ml of chicken stock. Mix to ensure there are no lumps of flour. Put the chicken back into the cocotte. Add enough stock to cover the chicken.
5. With the cocotte on medium heat, allow the contents of the pot to slowly come to a simmer. Next, add the sun-dried plums. Check the flavor and adjust as necessary. Let the dish simmer for at least 20 minutes.

Note: This dish will be delicious immediately after cooking but even better the next day.

 

 

 

 

Recipe Developed by Francois Audrin

Chef Audrin acquired his cooking skills working for top-flight restaurants – Michelin-starred establishments among them – in several countries in Europe and beyond. He has also served as the chef for the Ambassador of the European Union in Japan and the Executive Chef for the luxury yacht Christina O. Chef Audrin first came to Japan in 2011 and is now on his second stay. A consummate culinary professional, he has used his time here to learn about Japanese foods and devise ways to use Japanese ingredients in French dishes.

Read more about Chef Audrin and his activities:
Japanese page
http://eumag.jp/spotlight/e1212/