The Mormon "secret temple ceremonies"

Just as nutty as frat-boy and Freemason rites.

http://www.exmormon.org/mormon/mormon285.htm

http://davidb.mystarband.net/Endowment.html

Latkes

Andy, I'm just posting two recipes as the basic idea is the same for all.

Ingredients

* 2 cups peeled and shredded potatoes
* 1 tablespoon grated onion
* 3 eggs, beaten
* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 1/2 cup peanut oil for frying

Directions

1. Place the potatoes in a cheesecloth and wring, extracting as much moisture as possible.
2. In a medium bowl stir the potatoes, onion, eggs, flour and salt together.
3. In a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until hot. Place large spoonfuls of the potato mixture into the hot oil, pressing down on them to form 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick patties. Brown on one side, turn and brown on the other. Let drain on paper towels. Serve hot!

Or:

What is the secret to making great latkes? We found that the starchier the potato, the crisper the latke. As for varieties, we tested baking potatoes.

Ingredients

* 1 pound potatoes
* 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
* 1 large egg, lightly beaten
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 to 3/4 cup olive oil


* Accompaniments: sour cream and applesauce

Preparation

Preheat oven to 250°F.

Peel potatoes and coarsely grate by hand, transferring to a large bowl of cold water as grated. Soak potatoes 1 to 2 minutes after last batch is added to water, then drain well in a colander.

Spread grated potatoes and onion on a kitchen towel and roll up jelly-roll style. Twist towel tightly to wring out as much liquid as possible. Transfer potato mixture to a bowl and stir in egg and salt.

Heat 1/4 cup oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Working in batches of 4 latkes, spoon 2 tablespoons potato mixture per latke into skillet, spreading into 3-inch rounds with a fork. Reduce heat to moderate and cook until undersides are browned, about 5 minutes. Turn latkes over and cook until undersides are browned, about 5 minutes more. Transfer to paper towels to drain and season with salt. Add more oil to skillet as needed. Keep latkes warm on a wire rack set in a shallow baking pan in oven.

Cooks' notes: ·Latkes may be made up to 8 hours ahead. Reheat on a rack set over a baking sheet in a 350°F oven, about 5 minutes.
·Grating the potatoes, soaking them briefly in water, and then squeezing out the liquid (as we've done here) keeps the batter from turning brown too quickly.

Was Shakespeare a fraud?

The new movie Anonymous claims that:

In Anonymous, young Shakespeare (Rafe Spall) is depicted as a vainglorious buffoon and functional illiterate, a simpleton with a murderous self-preservation instinct who happily accepts credit (as well as vast wealth) for a body of writing he has no part in creating. That honor, in the movie’s take, belongs to the man who set Shakespeare up as his front and is really responsible for creating what is generally regarded as the finest body of work in the English language: the 17th Earl of Oxford, Edward de Vere. A trained lawyer, globe-trotting aristocrat, and theater-company patron (portrayed by Welsh actor Rhys Ifans of Notting Hill fame), de Vere dares not sully his social standing by taking his disreputable sideline of writing plays public. Nonetheless, he allows Shakespeare to mythologize himself, cranks out writing by the ream, and nearly manages to upend the royal court of Elizabethan England in the process.
...
Controversy has clung to Shakespeare for centuries with no less than Sigmund Freud, Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, Henry James, and Helen Keller among those who have deeply pondered the issue. And alternate speculation has held that other Shakespeare contemporaries—statesman Sir Francis Bacon, swashbuckling poet-playwright Christopher Marlowe, and William Stanley (the 6th Earl of Derby), even Queen Elizabeth herself—might just as easily have been responsible for what has been attributed the Bard.

Anonymous’ screenwriter John Orloff first stumbled across the authorship debate while working for an advertising firm in the mid-‘80s. After he began to research the subject, though, the novice writer and amateur historian became convinced the issue was “not some crackpot conspiracy theory as it might appear at first blush.”

“There’s no evidence that Shakespeare actually wrote anything and I don’t think anyone can be totally convinced either way,” Orloff said. “In 400 years, there’s been nothing discovered that was written by William Shakespeare. We have letters and manuscripts by his contemporaries. People left pieces of paper that they actually wrote. But not a single one exists by Shakespeare. All the evidence is circumstantial whether you think it’s him or you don’t think it’s him.”

As the argument goes among Oxfordians (as scholars who support that de Vere penned the plays are called), Shakespeare simply did not have the intellectual firepower. Born working-class and possessed of only a sixth-grade formal education, such a rural rube would not have gained the intimate knowledge of law, medicine, Latin, Greek, or Renaissance Italy that his plays reveal, theorists say.
...
James S. Shapiro, a professor of English and comparative literature at Columbia University who specializes in Shakespeare, sees “a gazillion factual errors” in Anonymous and makes quick work dismantling Oxfordian arguments. To name just one: He points out that while de Vere died in 1604, Shakespeare continued to write plays—10 more, to be precise, some in active collaboration with other playwrights—until 1614.

Caption this

Metrosexual meets Mama Moose?

More French chicken recipes

Chicken Cordon Bleu:

In 1578, during the thick of the religious war between Catholics and Protestants, the king of France, Henry III, created a new order of knights known as L'Ordre du Saint-Esprit, or the Order of the Holy Spirit. The mission of its members was to fight for Catholicism. To mark themselves as a member, the knights wore a Maltese cross hanging from a blue cord around their neck.

For two centuries membership in this order was considered a high honor and the wearing of the blue cord became a mark of considerable distinction. Eventually with the start of the French Revolution, the order was banished, replaced somewhat by La Légion d'honneur, which persists to this day as a distinction in France.

It is said that the members of the order, with blue ribbons hanging about their necks, would gather for fabulous feasts prepared by the finest chefs in the land. Eventually, with the abolition of the order, the blue ribbon came to be associated with the cooks rather than the knights themselves. The notion of a blue ribbon indicating the best of something has spread across the world.

In France, you will hear home cooks refer to themselves as a cordon bleu (or not as the case may be), meaning that they are an accomplished chef. You have probably heard of Le Cordon Bleu, which originated over a hundred years and is considered a top notch cooking school with branches around the globe.

Chicken Cordon Bleu is usually deep fried but can be baked if basted.

* 4 chicken breast filets, skinned
* salt and pepper
* 4 slices ham
* 4 slices of cheese, such as Swiss
* 1 egg, beaten
* 1 cup bread crumbs
* 4 tablespoons butter

1. Using a wooden meat hammer, pound the chicken breasts to about 1/4 inch thick. Or place the breasts between pieces of wax paper or in a heavy plastic bag and use your rolling pin to flatten them.
2. Lay out the chicken breasts and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Top each with a slice of cheese and a slice of ham. Roll the chicken up tightly.
3. Dredge the rolls in the egg and then in the bread crumbs, coating them well. Use toothpicks to hold them together if you wish. Place the rolls in a greased baking pan, seam side down. Place 1 tablespoon of butter on top of each roll.
4. Bake at 350°F for about 30 to 35 minutes.

Sauce:

* 2 shallots, chopped finely
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 1/2 cup whipping cream

Melt the butter in a small saucepan on low heat and add the shallots. Cook the shallots for 7 or 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the cream and warm through. That's it, ready to serve.

Chicken Kiev:

As with many dishes, there is some debate over where this chicken Kiev recipe originated. According to French history, this dish was invented by the the Frenchman Nicolas Appert (1749-1841), a masterful food manufacturer, who is also, and perhaps much more significantly, credited with developing the technique for canning foods.

He called his dish les côtelettes de volaille and it was also known as Chicken Supreme. The name chicken Kiev didn't appear until New York restaurants wanting to woo a Russian clientele began using it to designate this stuffed poultry dish.

For the herb butter:

* 8 tablespoons butter, softened
* 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
* 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
* 2 tablespoons finely chopped tarragon
* 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
* 1/4 teaspoon pepper
* juice of 1/2 lemon

For the poultry:

* 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
* 1/3 cup all purpose flour
* 1 egg, beaten
* 1 cup fine bread crumbs (you may need more)
* Canola oil for frying

1. Begin by preparing the herb butter. Mix all of the ingredients together in a small mixing bowl until thoroughly combined. Some of the lemon juice may remain separate. Mound the mixture on a piece of plastic wrap and mold into a log. Cover completely in plastic wrap and refrigerate until hard.
2. Meanwhile flatten the breasts by wrapping them in plastic wrap and hammering them with a meat hammer or a rolling pin until they are about 1/3 inch thick. Don't mangle them - just get them on the slender side.
3. Prepare three shallow bowls for dipping: one with flour, one with the beaten egg, and one with the bread crumbs.
4. Remove the hardened filling from the refrigerator and slice into eight equal portions (each piece should be a little less long than the breast is wide). Place a piece of butter towards one end of each breast and then roll the meat up tightly round the filling. Tuck in the edges and any stray bits as you roll. Press firmly together.
5. Dredge each roll thoroughly in flour, then egg, and finally in bread crumbs. Be sure everything is well coated. Place the rolls on a plate and refrigerate for 1/2 hour before frying.
6. When you are ready to fry, add oil to a depth of about 1 inch to a sturdy deep pan. Heat the oil to 375°F. Carefully add the rolls one at a time. Fry for about 15 minutes (exact cooking time will depend on the size of your rolls) turning as needed with metal cooking tongs to completely brown the rolls on all sides and cook throughout.
7. Drain rolls on absorbent paper and serve immediately. Watch out when you cut into these as the filling is likely to squirt out.

Poulet Chasseur:

Chasseur means hunter in French. Chasseur sauce was originally served with wild game birds, and still is. But these days it is served with a variety of poultry and white meats as well. Of course it can vary a bit, but in general a chasseur sauce will include butter, shallots, mushrooms (we could imagine our hunter coming home with a pocketful of mushrooms along with his bird), wine and often times tomato. It is meant to be a rustic sauce and you won't have to fuss over it to get good results.

* 8 chicken pieces (skinned if you wish)
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 2 tablespoons oil
* salt and pepper
* 8 ounces mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
* 3 shallots, minced
* 1 tablespoon flour
* 1/4 cup cognac
* 1/2 cup white wine
* 1/2 cup chicken stock or bouillon
* 2 tablespoons tomato paste
* 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1. In a Dutch oven or other sturdy, deep pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the butter with 1 tablespoon of the oil and brown the chicken until golden on all sides. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and remove from pan.
2. Drain off the pan drippings, give the pan a quick swipe with a paper towel to clean it a bit and then return it to low heat and add the other tablespoon of butter and tablespoon of oil. When the butter melts, add the minced shallots and cook gently for three minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally for 8 minutes or until the mushrooms are softened.
3. Sprinkle the mushrooms with the tablespoon of flour and cook for one minute stirring constantly. Pour on the cognac, white wine and bouillon and stir in the tomato paste. Add the browned chicken and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on how done you like your chicken and how big the pieces are. Serve topped with chopped parsley.

Poulet à la moutarde Dijon:

In general French food is not highly spiced so you might be surprised to find that mustard is actually a frequent ingredient in French recipes. This is because the mustard mellows quickly upon cooking. The fumes that rise out of the mustard jar are quickly released when heated and you are left with just a pleasant taste. If you think you don't like mustard, you should try cooking with mustard just once - you may be pleasantly surprised.

* 6-8 pieces of skinned chicken (ok, you could use chicken breasts if you want)
* salt and pepper
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 tablespoon butter
* 5 large mushrooms, sliced
* 1 tablespoon dried Herbs de Provence
* 1/2 cup dry white wine
* 2 tablespoons prepared Dijon mustard
* 1/4 cup heavy cream

1. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the butter and olive oil on medium heat in a heavy skilet and add the chicken, browning it on all sides (about 5 minutes).
2. Remove chicken from pan and add the mushrooms. Cook and stir occasionally for five minutes.
3. Put the chicken back in the pan, sprinkle with the herbs and pour the wine on top. Cover pan tightly and cook on low heat for 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked to your liking.
4. Remove the chicken to a serving plate. Into the sauce that remains in the pan, stir in the mustard and heavy cream. Warm on low heat for five minutes, then pour over chicken to serve.

Poulet à la Marengo:

This dish was supposedly first concocted in Italy after the battle of Marengo on June 14, 1800. It was an important battle for Napoleon leading his forces to victory over the Austrians, and effectively driving them out of Italy.

According to the legend, Napoleon refused to eat before fighting at Marengo and came off the battlefield with a ferocious hunger.

One version of the story has his chef, Dunand, creating chicken Marengo from the only ingredients he was able to procure: a chicken, bread, oil, garlic, tomatoes, eggs and crayfish. Napoleon wolves this down, and the battle then turns in his favor. Being a superstitious sort of fellow, Napoleon came to associate this dish with victory, and supposedly insisted on having it prepared whenever he went into battle thereafter.

Napoleon was well known to have bad digestion and generally inhaled his food, apparently having little time for such nonsense. He thought nothing of eating this dish served on a bed of grilled bread and topped with a fried egg. These days you are just as likely to find it without the egg and bread and many times, to simplify things the crayfish is not included either.

The easy chicken Marengo recipe given here does not include these ingredients, but it does come with lots of great sauce, so serve it over rice to get every drop. Of course nothing is to stop you from trying this recipe the way it was first served to Napoleon. Simply place some grilled bread in a shallow bowl, ladle the poultry and sauce on top, and finally top with a fried egg.

* 8 pieces chicken, skinned
* salt and pepper
* 1/4 cup flour
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 onion, peeled and chopped
* 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced or pressed
* 1 cup dry white wine
* 1 14-1/2 ounce can diced tomatoes
* 1 bouillon cube
* 1 teaspoon dried thyme
* 12 ounces mushrooms, washed, dried and sliced
* 1 tablespoon Cognac (optional)
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parley or basil

1. Sprinkle the skinned poultry with salt and pepper, then dredge in the flour.
2. Melt the butter with the olive oil in a heavy skillet on medium heat and gradually add the chicken pieces. Brown the pieces on all sides and remove from the skillet.
3. When all the pieces have been browned, add the onions and garlic to the skillet and cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally for five minutes.
4. Add the white wine and scrape any bits clinging to the bottom and sides of the skillet into the wine. Add the tomatoes, bouillon cube, and dried thyme, then the browned chicken pieces. Cover the skillet and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes.
5. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking for 15 minutes.
6. Stir in the Cognac 5 minutes before the end of the cooking time. Stir in the chopped herb just before serving.

Coq Au Vin:

Classically it is made with red wine and a rooster. (Quetzl's oldest son is now ready for the plucking.)

It used to be that the poultry used in this recipe was an older rooster (coq), who had passed many happy hours in the barnyard as the designated progenitor. A slow soak in red wine was recommended to soften the tough, old bird.

Some cooks like to include some bacon with this recipe. In France, the bacon would probably be lardons, which are small rectangles (about 1 inch by 1/4 inch slices) of fairly lean bacon. It can be sauteed along with the mushrooms and added later or it can just be cooked along with the onions at the start.

I did not include Cognac (sometimes Calvados, an apple brandy is also used). If you want to layer on a little more flavor, pour on 1/4 cup of brandy after the chicken has browned and before adding the wine. You then need to ignite the brandy, being careful not to singe any facial hair!

* One chicken, cut into pieces or 6 to 8 pieces chicken
* 20 pearl onions, or 2 onions
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 tablespoon butter + 2 more
* 1/2 bottle dry, robust red wine
* 1 bouquet garni (or 1 tablespoon mixed dried herbs)
* 2 gloves garlic, crushed
* 3/4 pound mushrooms, sliced thickly
* 1 tablespoon flour
* salt and pepper

1. Cook onions. If using pearl onions, peel and leave as they are. Alternatively, peel and sliver the regular sized onions. In a Dutch oven or other sturdy cooking vessel, heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter on medium heat until the butter melts. Cook the onions on medium heat until they start to soften or about 7 minutes.
2. Brown chicken. Add the chicken pieces and cook until browned on all sides. This takes about 5 minutes per side and you may have to do it in two batches. Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper.
3. Add other ingredients. Add the bouquet garni or mixed herbs, the garlic and the red wine.
4. Simmer. Cover, turn down the heat, and let simmer for one hour.
5. Cook mushrooms separately. Meanwhile melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium sized skillet on low heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly browned (about 10 minutes).
6. Add mushrooms. Add the cooked mushrooms to the chicken at one hour and continue cooking the chicken about 20 to 25 minutes.
7. Thicken sauce. To thicken the sauce, about 10 minutes before serving, mix the flour in a small bowl with several tablespoons of the sauce. Continue adding sauce to form a smooth liquid and mix this back into the chicken.

This recipe is perfectly adaptable to a slow cooker. Begin by following the directions for browning the onions and chicken, then transfer everything to the crock pot. Pour on the wine and add the other ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

30 minutes or so before serving, slice and pan fry the mushrooms in butter for 10 minutes and stir them into the stew.

Thicken the sauce using flour as described in the main recipe.

A traditional accompaniment to coq au vin is mashed potatoes. I prefer it on rice, or even more simply, with some freshly baked French bread to soak up the sauce.

Provençal chicken recipes for Andy

Chicken Breasts Provençal:

* 1 pound ripe tomatoes
* 4 (6- to 8-ounce) skinless boneless chicken breasts
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1 teaspoon minced garlic
* 1 flat anchovy fillet, mashed to a paste
* 1/2 cup dry white wine
* 3/4 cup chicken stock or reduced-sodium chicken broth
* 10 pitted brine-cured black olives, thinly sliced lengthwise
* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
* 1 tablespoon finely shredded basil

Core tomatoes and cut a shallow X in bottom of each, then blanch in a medium pot of boiling water 10 seconds. Transfer with a slotted spoon to an ice bath to stop cooking. Peel, seed, and finely chop.

Pat chicken dry and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, then dredge in flour, shaking off excess.

Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then cook chicken, turning once, until golden and just cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes total. Transfer to a platter and keep warm, covered.

Add garlic and anchovy paste to skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add wine and bring to a boil, scraping up brown bits. Stir in tomatoes, stock, and olives and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until mixture has thickened into a sauce, 8 to 10 minutes. Whisk in butter and any juices from platter.

Add chicken and simmer until just heated through, about 1 minute. Serve sprinkled with basil.

Chicken Bouillabaisse:

Makes 6 servings.

Chicken, not fish, is the star in this version of the hearty Provençal soup.

* Preheat oven to 375°F. Sprinkle with salt and pepper:
* 6 chicken legs (split into drumsticks and thighs), skinned

* Heat in large wide ovenproof pan over medium-high heat:
* 3 tablespoons olive oil

* Add and sauté until soft and golden, about 8 minutes:
* 1 onion, sliced

* Add and bring mixture to boil:
* 1 teaspoon dried thyme
* 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
* 2 4-inch-long orange peel strips (orange part only)
* 3/4 cup dry white wine

* Add and return mixture to boil:
* 1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
* 1 14-ounce can low-salt chicken broth

Add chicken pieces to pan in single layer, submerging in sauce; return mixture to boil. Cover pan and place in oven. Bake until chicken is cooked through, about 45 minutes.

Remove chicken from oven; keep covered. Maintain oven temperature.

Toast on a baking sheet until golden, about 12 minutes: 12 1/2-inch-thick baguette slices, brushed with olive oil

Remove from oven. Spoon chicken and sauce into shallow bowls. Top each serving with 2 toasted baguette slices. Garnish with rouille, if desired.

Braised Provençal Chicken with Butternut Squash and White Beans:

* 6 cups water
* 1 1/4 cups dried Great Northern beans
* 1/2 onion, cut into quarters

* 6 large bone-in chicken thighs with skin
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano or 3/4 teaspoon dried
* 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme or 3/4 teaspoon dried
* 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon dried

* 1/2 cup dry white wine
* 2 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
* 2 1/2 cups 1/3-inch pieces peeled butternut squash
* 1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
* 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Combine 6 cups water, beans and onion in large pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover partially and simmer until beans are tender, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Cool in cooking liquid. Drain bean mixture, discarding cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, place chicken in medium bowl. Add 1 tablespoon oil, oregano, thyme and rosemary and toss to coat. Let stand 30 minutes at room temperature.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Working in batches, cook chicken in skillet until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to plate.

Pour off drippings from skillet. Add wine and garlic to skillet; simmer until liquid is reduced by half, scraping up browned bits, about 2 minutes. Stir in squash, tomatoes in juice and drained bean mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Add chicken to skillet. Cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through and squash is tender, about 40 minutes. Stir in parsley. Simmer uncovered until sauce thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to serving bowl. Spoon bean-and-vegetable mixture over.

Poulet Provençal:

* 1 pound tomatoes (3 to 4 medium), cut into wedges
* 1 large onion, cut into wedges, leaving root ends intact
* 1/2 cup drained brine-cured black olives, pitted if desired
* 4 large garlic cloves, sliced, plus 1 teaspoon minced
* 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
* 2 teaspoons herbes de Provence, divided
* 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
* 1 whole chicken (about 3 1/2 pounds)
Equipment:

* Equipment: kitchen string
* Accompaniment: crusty bread
* Garnish: chopped flat-leaf parsley
Preheat convection oven to 400°F or regular oven to 425°F with rack in middle.

Toss together tomatoes, onion, olives, sliced garlic, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence, fennel seeds, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a 13- by 9-inch or other 3-quart shallow baking dish. Push vegetables to sides of dish to make room for chicken.

Stir together minced garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, remaining teaspoon herbes de Provence, and remaining tablespoon olive oil.

Remove excess fat from chicken and pat dry, then rub inside and out with seasoning mixture. Tie legs together with string, then put chicken in baking dish.

Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of a thigh (do not touch bone) registers 170°F, about 1 hour in convection oven; 1 to 1 1/4 hours in regular oven.

Let chicken stand 10 minutes before carving. Serve with vegetables and pan juices

Poulet à la Fermiere:

* 2 pounds chicken thighs and drumsticks
* 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
* 6 fresh parsley sprigs
* 2 fresh thyme sprigs
* 1 bay leaf (real - not California)
* 4 carrots, cut diagonally into 1-inch-thick slices
* 2 cups frozen small whole onions, thawed and patted dry
* 1/2 cup dry white wine
* 1/3 cup chicken broth
* 1 pound small (1 1/2-inch) boiling potatoes, peeled and halved
* 2/3 cup crème fraîche
* 1 cup frozen baby peas, thawed
* 1 cup coarsely grated Gruyère

* Special equipment: a small square of cheesecloth

Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.

Heat butter in a 12-inch ovenproof deep heavy sauté pan over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then brown chicken all over, in batches if necessary, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate and cover. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pan.

Tie parsley, thyme, and bay leaf in cheesecloth to make a bouquet garni, then add to pan with carrots and onions, stirring to coat with fat. Add wine and deglaze by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until liquid is reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add broth and chicken, skin sides up, with any juices from plate, and simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Add potatoes and salt and pepper to taste and simmer, covered, until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

Preheat broiler.

Discard bouquet garni. Stir in crème fraîche, peas, and salt and pepper to taste, then turn chicken in sauce to coat. Sprinkle dish all over with Gruyère and broil 4 to 5 inches from heat until browned and sauce is bubbling, 3 to 4 minutes.

Chicken Pot-au-Feu:

* 1 (4-lb) chicken (preferably organic)
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
* 1 bunch fresh thyme
* 2 qt chicken stock or canned broth
* 1 qt water
* 1 large onion stuck with 1 whole clove
* 1 head garlic, left unpeeled and halved horizontally
* 1 celery rib
* 1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
* 8 small leeks (1 1/2 lb; white and pale green parts only), root ends trimmed but leeks left intact
* 12 small (1 1/2- to 2-inch) boiling potatoes (1 1/4 lb)
* 12 small carrots (1 1/4 lb), peeled
* 8 small parsnips (1 1/4 lb), peeled
* 1 large celery root (1 3/4 lb), peeled with a paring knife and cut into 1/2-inch wedges

For green sauce

* 1 garlic clove
* 2 teaspoons capers, rinsed
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 cups chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
* 2 cups coarsely chopped tender watercress sprigs
* 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

* Garnish: watercress sprigs
* Special equipment: an instant-read thermometer

Pat chicken dry and sprinkle inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff cavity with thyme and chill chicken, loosely covered, at least 3 hours (to allow seasoning to permeate meat).

Transfer chicken to a 7- to 8-quart heavy pot, then add stock, water, onion, garlic, celery rib, and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and gently simmer chicken, covered, until juices run clear when a thigh is pierced with a skewer and thermometer inserted into thickest part of a thigh (do not touch bone) registers 170°F, about 45 minutes. Transfer chicken to a large platter and let stand, loosely covered with foil, 20 minutes. Reserve cooking liquid in pot, uncovered, and discard onion, celery, garlic, and bay leaf.

Prepare leeks and potatoes while chicken cooks:
Starting about 1/2 inch from root end, make a lengthwise cut through middle of each leek (keep leek intact). Wash leeks well under cold running water and drain. Halve potatoes.

Cook vegetables while chicken stands:
Bring chicken cooking liquid to a boil, then add leeks, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and celery root and simmer, partially covered, until tender, about 20 minutes. Carefully transfer vegetables with a slotted spoon to platter with chicken and keep warm, loosely covered with foil. (Reserve cooking liquid for another use if desired cool, uncovered, then chill, covered.)

Make sauce while vegetables cook:
Mash garlic and capers to a paste with salt using a mortar and pestle (or mince and mash with a large heavy knife). Transfer to a food processor and pulse with parsley and watercress until herbs are finely chopped. With motor running, add oil in a slow stream and process until smooth. Season sauce with salt and pepper.

Serve chicken and vegetables with sauce.