Olive oil
Salt, pepper,
flour for dredging
Combine wines, garlic, rosemary, bouquet garni, carrots, turnip and onion. Add chicken pieces and marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
To prepare the dish, preheat the oven to 385 degrees. Strain the marinade into a bowl. Set vegetables and bouquet garni aside.
Heat some olive oil in a large, oven-proof skillet. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and pan sear very well. Add the vegetables and cook for 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, stir to enrobe the meat and the vegetables. Lightly flour (about 1/4 cup) the contents of the skillet, then cook off the flour for 2 minutes.
Add the bouquet garni and the marinade, stir once and bring to a boil. Cover and bake in the oven for 45-60 minutes. When the chicken is cooked, stir in the olives and pesto, then check the seasonings.
Remove bouquet garni before serving. Serves 6 to 8.
AUSTRALIAN RACK
OF LAMB WITH EGGPLANT CAVIAR
1/2 Australian rack of lamb (8 chops)
2 Italian eggplants
1 red pepper, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1/2 Spanish onion, diced
1 clove garlic, chopped
Chopped fresh rosemary
Fresh basil, chopped in long strips (chiffonade)
2 tablespoons butter
3 ounces haricots verts (French string beans)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Cut eggplant in half, lengthwise. Score flesh of eggplant and place on oiled sheet pan, scored side facing up, and sprinkle with salt to extract water and bitterness from the eggplant. Let sit for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pat eggplant dry, drizzle with oil and roast in oven for about an hour or until flesh is soft. Let cool.
Once eggplant is cooled, use a spoon to remove the flesh of the eggplant from the skin.
In a saute pan, over medium heat, saute garlic in butter until it starts to brown. Add onions, peppers and herbs and saute until tender. Add the eggplant and reduce heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let cook for 45 minutes to an hour, until eggplant is dark in color.
