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Roast chicken stuffed with potatoes may seem quite ordinary, but it is a classic French dish as well. And (once again) it is so simple to make. This was one of the first local recipes I learned after moving to France, and it has always been a good, standby crowd pleaser! A few nights ago I made it for guests who came to dinner with their twin two year olds, and it was wonderful to be able to serve a dish that not only satisfied the adults, but was eagerly devoured by the children!

Recipe for 'poulet farci aux pommes de terre':

poulet : chicken.
COMPOUNDS:
d'elevage: battery chicken;
fermier: free-range chicken.
farcir: transitive verb (culinary) to stuff.

pomme de terre : potato

Ingredients :
1 whole chicken (I use free range)
3 lbs potatoes
2 garlic cloves
basi
olive oil

Preheat oven to 350F.

Wash and cut the potatoes into large bite sized peices. If you don't like the skin you can peel them first, but I don't even bother. It becomes soft after being cooked and only adds to the taste.

Chop the garlic into small bits. I sue fresh basil - if you are as well you can also chop it into bits.

Put the chopped potatoes, basil and garlic together in a bowl and mix around a bit.

Unbind the chicken so that you have easy access to it's cavity. Then stuff the cavity full of as much of the potato mixture that you can get into it.

Put the remaining potatoes in a large oven pan with about a cup of water. Place the stuffed chicken on top of the potatoes. Rub a bit of olive oil and salt into it's skin. I use gros sel, or edible rock, as it gives it a really original flavour. (And because my husband begs me to!)

Cook uncovered for about 1 hr 30 minutes.

You will know that the dish is done when the skin has turned lightly golden. Cooking this dish is a true delight, as it is so easy, and a wonderful odor perfumes the house as it is warming in the oven!

After removing the pan from the oven, 'unstuff' and carve the chicken before serving. The potatoes should be soft and moist, and deeply infused with the flavour of the chicken as well!

Oh, and a funny thing happened when Ibrought this chicken home from the butcher shop - I think the worker there was new, and honestly I have no idea what he was thinking! The French may be known for eating snails, tongue, and frog legs, but I have yet to know one who eats chicken heads!

My guess is that it was kept on for freshness, since I often go to the same butcher, and in the past they have never given me a 'whole' chicken in such a literal sense.

For wine, we drank from our supply of Cabernet d'Anjou and it was a cool, fruity complement to ease the summer heat and lighten the meal.

Bon appetit!

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