Chicken Provencal

A rustic French braise where chicken pieces simmer in broth with marjoram until tender, then get topped with a warm mixture of crispy sautéed eggplant, halved cherry tomatoes, and ripe olives. It tastes like a Provençal summer in a skillet.

The eggplant gets cooked first and set aside, which is a smart move. Sautéing the cubed eggplant until crispy before the chicken goes in means it keeps its texture and doesn’t turn into a mushy paste during the long braise. It goes back in at the very end just to warm through.

Three tablespoons of minced fresh garlic is a lot, and intentionally so. This is Provencal cooking, where garlic isn’t a background note; it’s a main character. Sautéed with the eggplant and onion, it mellows into something sweet and golden.

Kitchen Tips

• Brown the chicken well on all sides before adding the broth. That fond (the brown bits stuck to the skillet) dissolves into the braising liquid and builds the flavor base for the whole dish.
• Don’t crowd the chicken in the skillet during browning. Work in batches if needed. Crowded pieces steam instead of searing.
• Drain the browned chicken on paper towels and wipe the excess oil from the skillet before adding the broth. This keeps the final dish from being greasy.
• Add the tomatoes at the very end. They only need to heat through; overcooking turns them to mush and dulls their bright acidity.

Variations

• Zucchini addition: Add cubed zucchini alongside the eggplant for a more traditional ratatouille-style vegetable topping.
• White wine braise: Replace half the chicken broth with dry white wine for a more complex, acidic braising liquid that’s very southern French.