Provence fragrances escaping from the oven

A South French Sunday lunch. Think about a dinner, enjoyed slowly between noon and 5 p.m., talking and eating food cooked by the grandma.

The roast : A chicken baked inside a salty crust, with lots of perfumed herbs.

It gets very tender.

The zucchini that believed they were bananas.

Colorful Mediterranean Summer vegetables. They must be full of vitamins.

Layered, then baked. Tian is also the name of the pottery in which this dish is baked.

Teaser about the dessert (to be posted soon) :

Tarte automne-été aux trois fruits (Summer-Fall triple pie).

New onions, and paprika chicken “quick !”

As the title indicates it, that’s a quickie. Three ingredients, 2 minutes of your time.

Sweet new onions arrived on the market. I sliced half of a small one.

I “steamed” a piece of chicken breast in the micro-wave. Then covered the chicken and onion with a good amount of paprika powder, a little olive oil, salt. Grilled in the oven-toaster.

The meat and the onion just need to be grilled a few minutes to take a delicious grilled flavor, while the meat stays tender and the onion crispy. Simple and yummy !

Tiger stew

They are called toramame (tiger beans) for obvious reasons. I’ve used them to make a very simple cassoulet/baked bean dish.

They become a little darker when they cook. After soaking the bean overnight, I’ve refried cut onions, garlic, laurel leaves in olive oil, added the beans, water and let simmer on the stove till beans got tender.

Then I’ve passed the broth and a few beans in the blender, added salt and pepper. Covered the beans and baked till it formed a crust.

Ginger pickle, cabbage, turnip and dill salad as a side.

On top, cut parlsey, coarse salt, olive oil.

Yummy !

Cassoulet de la mer. Fish and beans.

Diet today ! This is the “fasting day” cassoulet. Oh, I can explain :
Cassoulet du vendredi

The dose of tomato was generous.

After a long while, these white beans get soft…

3 types of fish. Raw cod fish. Slightly salted salmon…

… and shishamo (Hokkaido eperlan) that are also salted and with eggs inside.

The fish and beans layered in the big cassoule (cassoulet pot)

Hot from the oven…

Petits classiques : individual hachis parmentiers

That’s the basic classic hachis parmentier served by all French mamans. It’s economical comfort food that children love. Including grown up kids…
Today, they are small, in ramequin (what you may call cocottes) and verrines (it’s a glass, I hope baking won’t damage it too quickly).
The ramequins can be prepared in a large quantity and frozen. Their shape and size is ideal for quick thawing.