This is not Italian but it is something I first discovered in Europe. I learned about herbs de Provence while on a culinary tour in the south of France and have been using them regularly ever since. They are good in everything. . . chicken, pork, potatoes, veggies. It is a combination of tyme, sage, marjoram, basil and rosemary. . . and is absolutely fabulous (and smells like France).
I can't find the herbs here (Italians are not really big on importing food) and I have used all I bought in France. Luckily my Belgian friend who lives here has a huge canister of herbs of Provence from home and shared with me. She gave me so much it will last until our next trip to France. So nice. In Texas, I know you can buy them at Central Market. They may have them at other groceries too or you can just ask your Belgian friend :-)
One of my favorite simple dishes using herbs de Provence is with chicken or pork chops. Here's what you need. . . slice up a couple onions and several potatoes. Layer those in the bottom of a casserole dish. Cover with lots of grated parmesean (fresh grated of course) and sprinkle with salt, pepper and herbs de Provence. Then over that, add bone in chicken or bone in pork chops. Season the meat with salt, pepper and herbs of Provence, add some more parmesean, cover with foil and bake an hour at around 200 (400 F) or until done. Serve with a salad and bread and dinner is finished!
I made this recipe when my parents were here and my dad went with me to the butcher to get the meat. The butcher didn't have any pork chops that day so my dad convinced me to buy a whole chicken. I say convinced because he really did have to talk me into it. . . the chickens are truly whole here as in feet and everything. Ick. Luckily the butcher cut it up for us. Still, I don't need to see the feet of something I'm going to eat. Gross. So who's hungry for chicken now?
I can't find the herbs here (Italians are not really big on importing food) and I have used all I bought in France. Luckily my Belgian friend who lives here has a huge canister of herbs of Provence from home and shared with me. She gave me so much it will last until our next trip to France. So nice. In Texas, I know you can buy them at Central Market. They may have them at other groceries too or you can just ask your Belgian friend :-)
One of my favorite simple dishes using herbs de Provence is with chicken or pork chops. Here's what you need. . . slice up a couple onions and several potatoes. Layer those in the bottom of a casserole dish. Cover with lots of grated parmesean (fresh grated of course) and sprinkle with salt, pepper and herbs de Provence. Then over that, add bone in chicken or bone in pork chops. Season the meat with salt, pepper and herbs of Provence, add some more parmesean, cover with foil and bake an hour at around 200 (400 F) or until done. Serve with a salad and bread and dinner is finished!
I made this recipe when my parents were here and my dad went with me to the butcher to get the meat. The butcher didn't have any pork chops that day so my dad convinced me to buy a whole chicken. I say convinced because he really did have to talk me into it. . . the chickens are truly whole here as in feet and everything. Ick. Luckily the butcher cut it up for us. Still, I don't need to see the feet of something I'm going to eat. Gross. So who's hungry for chicken now?
Your mother gave me some of those spices & they are truly a miracle to a boring piece of meat! Thanks for sharing yet another way to use them.
ReplyDeleteI love my herbes de Provence! Have you been eating a lot of duck? We ate it once a week when I lived in France... canard confit, yum! I'm using fresh parmesan now - aren't you proud?!! ;) I'll have to try the above recipe sometime soon, it sounds delicious.
ReplyDeleteMichelle showed me a new dish using Granddaddy's butternut squash + THE herbs. Peel, seed and CUBE the squash -- a major pain, but worth it. Squirt some olive oil in a plastic zip-lock bag. Add some Herbes de Provence -- just sprinkle it in. Add the cut up squash and mix it altogether. Place in a large pyrex pan and bake at 350 to 400 F until tender and as crunchy as you want.
ReplyDeleteCentral Market also has Herbes de Provence with lavendar. Oh so good!
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