RECIPES

BLANCS DE VOLAILLE BONNE FEMME

Rustic Boneless Chicken Breast Sauté (Bonne Femme)

Bonne femme translates as good woman or good wife and the term, in cooking, usually connotes a rustic, country style of cooking, often with slab bacon, onions, and potatoes. Poulet bonne femme , the more customary treatment for chicken, uses bone-in chicken pieces and cooks a bit more slowly. I've taken the liberty of speeding up the process using boneless, skinless breasts. Today, the good wife or good husband—the bon mari —gets dinner to the table as quickly as possible.

4 servings

2 tablespoons canola oil

1/2 cup diced, thick-cut mild bacon

Four 6 to 8-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

3/4 cup frozen whole baby onions, thawed

2 cups diced, cooked boiling potatoes (about ¾-inch dice)

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; add the canola oil. When hot, add the diced bacon; sauté until crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. Add the breasts, seasoned with 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper, along with the onions. Sauté until golden brown on both sides, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook, turning once, until the chicken is no longer pink in the thickest portion when cut with a knife, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Remove the breasts to a warm platter; top with the onions. Cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.

Increase the heat to medium-high. When hot, add the potatoes and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until browned; season with the remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Stir in the bacon. Scatter the potato mixture over the breasts and serve immediately.

Truc: Our salt pork tends to be a bit tough when simply sautéed and not simmered so bacon is a better choice here. If time allows and for a more authentic taste, drop the bacon in simmering water for about 5 minutes and pat the diced pieces dry before sautéing. It removes some of the smoky flavor.

For cooked potatoes in a hurry, quarter 2 or 3 medium boiling potatoes and cook them in a microwave-safe covered container with a tablespoon of water on high in your microwave until barely tender, about 8 minutes. If you start them before sautéing the bacon, they'll be slightly cooled and ready for dicing while the chicken finishes cooking. Synchronizing your timing is one of the ways to get a meal done quickly.

From Bistro Chicken, by Mary Ellen Evans

TRIPLE CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI CAKE

Zucchini is the magic ingredient in this yummy cake. Hidden in all the chocolate, it adds moistness and body.

Cake

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup orange juice

1 tablespoon grated orange zest

3/4 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups shredded zucchini

1 cup (6-oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Glaze

3 ounces milk chocolate, chopped

5 teaspoons orange juice

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray a 10-inch Bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray; dust with flour. Combine milk, orange juice and grated orange zest in small bowl. Se t a side.

Beat butter in large mixer bowl on medium speed until creamy. Add sugar; beat until fluffy. Add eggs, one a t a time, beating well after each addition. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, cinnamon, soda and salt. Mix into butter mixture on low speed just until combined. Add milk mixture; mix until just combined. Add remaining flour mixture; mix until combined. Stir in zucchini and chocolate chips. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until top feels firm to the touch and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool on wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert onto rack and remove from pan; let cool completely.

Melt chocolate with orange juice in double boiler over barely simmering water. Stir until smooth. Drizzle over top and sides of cake.

12 servings

From Vegetable Creations by Mary Evans (Cooking Club of America , 2000)