Chicken with Tart Grape Sauce as Prepared in the Dordogne

Cuisses de Poulet au Verjus à la Dordogne
by Paula Wolfert
from The Cooking of Southwest France, Rev. Ed.
(John Wiley & Sons,  2005)
Serves 6

Verjus is made from sour green grapes. Its tart, fruity flavor provides a refreshing balance to the garlic, which becomes very sweet after cooking.—Paula Wolfert

convert Ingredients
4 pounds meaty chicken legs, at room temperature
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
12 plump garlic cloves, whole but not peeled
1/3 cup dry white wine
6 to 7 tablespoons verjus (Buy it)
3 cups unsalted chicken stock, reduced to 1 cup
12 sour green grapes, preferably tart
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

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Method
1. Trim away any excess fat from the chicken legs. Dry well and rub with salt and pepper.

2. Set a large, deep skillet, preferably a sauteuse, over moderately high heat. Add 2 1/2 tablespoons of the butter, then the chicken, skin side down, and the garlic cloves. Brown for 1 minute each side, shaking the skillet to keep the chicken and garlic from sticking.

3. Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet tightly, and cook for 10 minutes. Uncover the skillet, tilt, and skim the fat off the pan juices. Turn the chicken over. Add the white wine, cover again, and cook slowly for another 10 minutes.

4. Uncover the skillet, add 5 tablespoons of the verjus, and quickly cover the pan so that chicken pieces absorb all the aroma and flavor. Cook slowly for 5 minutes longer.

5. Add 3/4 cup of the stock and cook for 5 minutes. Raise the heat and add the butter and the remaining stock and verjus. Swirl the skillet over the heat to combine the ingredients. Add the grapes and warm through. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

6. Arrange the chicken, garlic, and grapes on a warm platter. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve hot.

Recipe © 2005 Paula Wolfert. All rights reserved.
© 2009 Leite’s Culinaria, Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of use.