Campervan Cookbook: Chicken Provençale with Couscous

When Jill and I set off in April 2024 for our 12-month Europe and UK adventure in our French campervan, it was an opportunity to expand my passion for cooking to discoveries in local markets and cooking within the restrictions of van life. On returning home I started writing my Campervan Cookbook. All recipes are my own and all of the meals were cooked in the van during our 12-month adventure. Here is a "taster" recipe from my still-to-be-completed cookbook. Happy travels and cooking!

Follow our journeys and cooking on Instagram @travelforfood57

Well it just wouldn't be right if I didn't have a crack at Chicken Provençale when we are in Aix-en-Provence, but I'm doing it on the BBQ. The ingredients were sourced from the fantastic local Saturday street market. The prunes provide a bit of a Moroccan influence. Smell those delicious aromas.

Serves 2 (with some leftovers)

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thigh cutlets
• 2 eschalots (shallots or French shallots), diced
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 10 or so pitted green olives
• 4 prunes, quartered lengthways (or left whole if small)
• 250g cherry tomatoes, ideally vine ripened
• ¼ cup white wine
• 110g couscous (more if you want leftovers)

Method

Place a large skillet pan on low-medium heat, add the olive oil then the chicken, skin side down. Season the flesh of the chicken with salt and pepper. Now be patient, slower is better. You want the skin to be gold and crispy, don't move it around the pan, just leave it alone. After about 10 minutes, provided your heat isn't too high, the chicken should easily prise away from the pan to reveal gold and crispy skin. Remove to a plate.

On a medium heat, gently fry the eschalots for a few minutes, then add the garlic and fry for another minute. Next add the olives, prunes, and cherry tomatoes. When heated through turn up the heat to high and add the white wine, bring to a rapid bubble briefly then back in with the chicken, skin side up, lid on and heat back to low for a gentle simmer.

For the couscous follow the instructions on the packet.

To Serve

Plate a chicken thigh with some tomatoes, olives, and prunes, pour over the pan juices and serve with generous spoons of couscous.

Tips

If the weather permits, cook this on the BBQ.

Recipe by Des Doyle. Follow his journey and cooking adventures on Instagram @travelforfood57.