Poulet en Cocotte Bonne Femme - with a twist

I got this recipe from the book - Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, Simone Beck, but have adapted it and made a sauce with herbs, lemon juice and capers with the butter and cooking juices.

This dish is very easy a bit of butter melting turn of potatoes and chicken breasts then in the oven for an hour.

The original recipe has chopped bacon and small onions added, you could do this but I didn't fancy a bacon flavour especially when I was going to make the sauce with the juices.

Poulet en Concotte Bonne Femme - Casseroled Chicken with Potatoes, Bacon and Onions

4 skinless chicken breasts, 1 bay leaf, 2 sprigs fresh thyme, 4 tbsps butter

If using bacon and onions - 12 baby onions & 6 rashers bacon rind removed and chopped in 2cm pieces

Sauce - juice 1/2 lemon. 2 tsps chopped capers, 1 tbsp chopped fresh herbs - I used oregano

Preheat the oven 200.c

In a dish that can go in the oven melt the butter, add the potatoes stir to coat in the butter. Salt and pepper the chicken breasts. When the potatoes start to sizzle push to the sides place the chicken breasts in the middle. Turn to coat in the butter. Add the herbs. When the chicken starts to sizzle. remove from the heat, - if you are adding chopped bacon and baby onions add the now then cover with tin foil, then place on the lid.

Bake 1 hour turning the chicken halfway and tossing the potatoes.

When cooked remove from the oven. Remove the chicken, herbs and potatoes. Place the dish on the hotplate on high add sauce ingredients stir until sauce is bubbling, remove from the heat.

The serve slice the breasts place onto the plate with the potatoes. pour the sauce over the chicken.