Recipe - Chicken A La Poitevine

3 pound Roasting chicken
2 tablespoon Butter
1 tablespoon Oil
One fourth pt Brandy
1 Garlic head
Salt & pepper

Joint the chicken into the usual 7 pieces (or buy 23 lbs chicken
portions). Separate the head of garlic into cloves and peel them. Don't be
put off by the quantity of garlic, it doesn't taint the breath at all.
Above all, don't reduce the proportion.

In a large casserole, heat the oil with the butter until the froth subsides
**BEWARE** Don't let the butter burn. A few pieces at a time, fry the
carefully dried chicken joints on both sides, turning once only. You don't
want to cook them, just brown them lightly.

As soon as they are all cooked, pour off the excess fat, trying to keep any
crusty bits in the pan. (I put a knife blade on the edge just to let
through the fat.) Return the browned chicken to the hot casserole, and
still over moderate heat, pour over half the brandy, which you have warmed
gently in a ladle. Set light to it, shaking until the flames subside.
**WATCH OUT FOR YOUR HAIR**

Reduce heat, pour over the brandy, add the whole garlic cloves, season
generously with freshly ground pepper. Cook 2040 mins depending on how
well cooked you like your chicken done, or until tender. For modern
broilers, 20 minutes is long enough for them to be tender. For older
freerange chicken, 40 minutes may not be long enough! You will have a few
tablespoonsful of sauce. Correct seasoning and serve very hot. The garlic
cloves will be deliciously edible.

per Ian Hoare
Fidonet COOKING echo

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini