Le Crock Pot: Poulet Chasser (Hunter's Chicken)

French food is not all heavy cream and butter. It is possible to create the impression of food so very delicious the heart attack might even be worth it, all the while using ingredients that are healthy and even...dare I say it...GOOD FOR YOU!

This dish is almost too go to be true. I know it's true because I made it last night and heard oohs and aahs all around the table - repeatedly! I love it when an experiment comes together as perfection on the pallet!

I did take the time to sear the chicken and soften the veggies, which is optional in this recipe. While I thawed the frozen chicken breasts in the microwave on high for 4 minutes and then while seared in I Can't believe It's Not Butter (my own optional substitute), I chopped onions, garlic, carrots and olives. I also wore kitchen gloves to save time trying to scrub the garlic smell off my hands when I was done. The gloves are also handy for handling chicken without fuss.

When the chicken was golden on both sides I dealt with the veggies and mixed the sauce in the crock pot. ONLY 15 of prep time!!! Then into the crock pot and forgotten until dinner.

C'est magnifique! (Wonderful!)

Mom hates cooked carrots - but not in this dish!
Dad does not care for olives - but not in this dish!
My husband and I don't like brown rice - but not in this dish!

C'est incroyable! (Incredible!)


Slow Cooker Poulet Chasseur Recipe (Hunter's Chicken)

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thawed and patted dry with paper towels)
• 6 tablespoons butter (or I can't Believe it's Not Butter)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small red onion, chopped (about ½ cup)
• 1 and 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 4 tbsp. white wine or more chicken broth
• 5 teaspoons flour
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup diced carrots
• 1 tbsp. fresh thyme (or 1 tsp. dried)
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
  
• 2 tablespoons diced green lives with red pimento

Directions: Melt butter in a large skillet, then add chicken breasts. Lightly salt and pepper chicken and sear on each side until lightly golden brown, about five minutes on each side. Remove chicken and set aside.

Add garlic, carrots, olives and onions to pan and cook for a few minutes, just until softened; turn off heat. In the crock of your slow cooker, whisk together broth, wine, flour, salt, and pepper until well blended. Stir in the contents of the saute pan, including any remaining butter. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

Lay the chicken breasts on top of the mixture in the crock pot and cook on low for 2-3 hours or high for 1-1 1/2 hours, until chicken is cooked through. Do not add more salt. The olives are very salty and will flavor the dish. Remove the lid about 20 minutes before serving if you would like to further reduce the sauce.

Tips:

• If you’re pressed for time, you can add all the ingredients to the pot without searing the chicken or softening the veggies first. You will sacrifice a dab of consistency, and you’ll need to be sure the onions are on the bottom so they’ll cook well.
• To cut out a few more calories use a slotted spoon to fish out the veggies to top your chicken breast once it is plated. You will NOT lose flavor, just fat and calories!
  

To make the getting-on-the-table even quicker, serve with rustic bread and a salad-in-a-bag of your choice.

I served my Chicken Chasseur with brown rice. Hate to cook brown rice? Hate to eat brown rice? NO MORE! Perfect brown rice is cooked more like pasta and when done by this method it is so very similar to white rice that even the most particular pallet will approve!

Brown Rice

• 1 cup short, medium, or long-grain brown rice (makes 2 cups of cooked rice)

1. Rinse rice in a strainer under cold running water for 30 seconds. Bring 10 cups water to a boil in a large pot with a tight-fitting lid over high heat. Add the rice, stir it once, and boil, uncovered, for 30 minutes. (Reduce heat slightly if necessary to keep from boiling over.) Pour the rice into a strainer over the sink.

2. Let the rice drain for 10 seconds, then return it to the pot, off the heat. Cover the pot and set it aside to allow the rice to steam for 10 – 20 minutes. Uncover the rice, fluff with a fork, and season with salt if desired.

To complete this wonderfully French meal serve a wedge of bree with fruit and fresh baked Baguettes as an appetizer or dessert. (Yes, cheese and fruit can be a dessert!)

The recipe I used is located here. This bread was quick and easy! If you use a bread machine to make the dough, you can start it as soon as you get everything in the crock pot, and (if you cook dinner for 3 hours on low) the bread will be done just before your main course - just in time to eat with a Bree and fruit appetizer.

Don't forget to add dinner music:

Louis Armstrong - La Vie En Rose (with lyrics)

Bon appetit!