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Poulet à la vanille
Vanilla chicken
Poulet à la vanille: Réunion chicken braised with Bourbon vanilla pods, onion and a little cream
MauritianThe east coast around Saint-André and Bras-Panon grows the island's famous Bourbon vanilla, and this gentle braise is how families there show it off when guests come for lunch. Chicken pieces are browned with onion, garlic and ginger, then simmered with split pods until the sauce smells of warm vanilla, and a spoon of cream at the end turns it pale gold and silky. It is savoury, not sweet, with the vanilla rounding out the onion. Serve it with white rice and a simple green salad. A common mistake is scraping out the seeds and throwing the pod away: most of the flavour is in the pod, so simmer it in the sauce. Chef's tip: never let the sauce boil once the cream is in, or it can split; keep it just below a simmer.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 ⅝ lb bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticksskin on
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 2 onionsfinely sliced
- 3 cloves garliccrushed
- ½ oz fresh gingergrated
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 vanilla podssplit lengthwise
- 1 cup chicken stockgluten free
- ¾ cup single cream
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Pat 2 ⅝ lb bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks dry and season with 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp ground black pepper.
Step 2: Heat 2 tbsp sunflower oil in a wide, heavy casserole over a medium-high heat and brown the chicken skin-side down until deep golden, then turn and brown the other side. Lift out onto a plate.
10 minStep 3: Lower the heat to medium and fry 2 onions in the fat until soft and golden.
8 minStep 4: Add 3 cloves garlic, ½ oz fresh ginger and 2 sprigs fresh thyme and fry for 1 minute until fragrant.
1 minStep 5: Scrape the seeds from 2 vanilla pods into the pan and add the pods too. Pour in 1 cup chicken stock and scrape up the brown bits from the bottom.
Step 6: Return the chicken, skin-side up, with its juices. Cover and simmer on a low heat until the meat is tender and reaches 165°F in the thickest part, near the bone, with clear juices.
30 minStep 7: Lift the chicken onto a warm dish. Stir ¾ cup single cream into the sauce and heat gently without boiling until it is smooth and coats a spoon. Taste for salt.
3 minStep 8: Pour the sauce over the chicken, with the vanilla pods on top, and serve with rice.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 540 kcal
- Protein
- 42 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 37 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does poulet à la vanille take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of ground black pepper?
- Black peppercorns, freshly ground, same amount.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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