Poulet au Bonne Femme

Any time you see the term “bonne femme” in a dish it will be something very comforting, thrifty, and wonderful. Loosely translated it means “good wife”.

Poulet au Bonne Femme was a recipe long before Julia Child wrote her amazing version. I think that we can get stuck in a recipe rut, afraid to deviate from what someone else has done. I hear from women all the time who feel that there is some insurmountable difference between a “foodie” and themselves.

I used to tell people that the only real difference between a chocolate pudding and a chocolate mousse is that you fold the whipped cream into the mousse and you put it atop the pudding. Most of the time it is the little details that make the difference in the dish. If you have been holding back because you are afraid of moving out of the hot dogs and beans rut…well try jumping in with this dish…simple, homestyle comfort food.

A slow simmer keeps your kitchen smelling fabulous. Seriously, Yankee Candles should have one that smells like this. I used dried trumpet mushrooms and I do suggest dried mushrooms for this dish. Why?

Well, when you are making a stew type dish, with a long simmering time the dried mushrooms will give a richer, more intense flavor than fresh. It is just that simple.

You can make this on top of the stove or in a crock pot. Super autumn comfort food! Sorry about the images. We are having lots of dark, dreary days and I haven’t gotten a light box yet. With 11 ft ceilings the lighting is less than optimum!

Need a menu? Try this…

Poulet au Bonne Femme Menu Suggestion

Rice (I used jasmine and flavored the cooking water with a little truffle oil)

Autumn Salad

Baguette

Walnut Genoise with Ganache

Poulet au Bonne Femme

• 6-8 boned chicken breasts, cut in chunks
• 4 slices bacon
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 6 carrots peeled and sliced
• 4 celery stalks, sliced
• 1 oz dried mushrooms (I used trumpet)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup chardonnay

1. Bring stock to a simmer and put the mushrooms in to rehydrate, set aside
2. In a large saute pan saute the bacon until it is done and the fat is rendered
3. Remove bacon from pan and set aside
4. Add onion, celery, garlic and carrots to the pan; saute until tender but not colored
5. Remove from pan
6. Add chicken and brown in the remaining bacon fat, you may need to add a little olive oil if there is not enough fat
7. When chicken is golden brown add the stock with mushrooms, chardonnay, vegetables, and herbs
8. Cover and simmer on low for an hour and a half, adding stock as necessary to keep from going dry but not so much it is soup. If you use a crockpot, 6-8 hours should be perfect
9. Serve with the crumbled, cooked  bacon sprinkled over top

Makes 8 servings

images:Marye Audet