Vinegar-Braised Chicken on a bed of Leeks and Peas adapted from Grace Parisi of Food and Wine Magazine with Heirloom Tomatoes and Burrata

      Ms. Parisi

                              Last weekend, I wanted to start to move away from summer favorites and start enjoying some of the pleasures of fall. For me this means a great braise with a flavorful sauce. I found one in this amazingly light stew, a medley of leeks and the greenest of peas topped by crispy-skinned chicken cut up so everyone can choose their favorite pieces.   With this, I kept late summer on the table with an Heirloom Tomato and Burrata. They yielded a dinner that is so simple to make and takes so little time, Grace Parisi, Food and Wine’s Senior Recipe developer and one my culinary heroes, uses it for weeknight dinner parties. The chicken is browned, the sauce given the tang of a shot of white Balsamic vinegar and then enriched with crème fraiche. The tender leaks and sweet peas contrast subtly with the sauce. The whole effect is a wonderful cross between sweet and tender, tangy and creamy.   After 25 minutes in a hot oven, it’s ready to be served which I did straight from the pot. It’s a triumph of French bistro cooking and if anyone knows how to cook Chicken, it’s the French. But first, about that chicken and those heirloom tomatoes. 

Daniel Boulud's Corn and Heirloom Tomato Tart

The Decor of Maison Boulud gets high marks too!

       Daniel Boulud is no stranger to these pages.  His recipes are as reliable as his restaurants, the latest of which just opened in Montreal’s newly renovated Ritz Carlton Hotel ( 1228 Sherbrooke St. Ouest, Montreal QC H3g 1H6 Tel: 514-842-4212 ) The place only opened at the end of May and there are currently 166 reviews of it on Open Table alone!  Almost all of them assign “Maison Boulud” 5 stars.  Since my parents spent years and years going to that same Ritz at every opportunity, I have great affection for the hotel.  It came as no real surprise that Chef Boulud has made magic there.  I just wish I could whip up and sample what is taking the town by storm.  However, I will have to content myself with his recipe made with food from closer to home.  In fact, the two mainstays of this dish came straight from the farm that’s right over the hill from our house.  And what a dish it is!  The burst of tomato flavor, the sweetness of the corn and the fluffiest of pastry crusts are a wonderful salute to the end of summer.  We’d give this one 5 stars and name the recipe one of our best finds this summer.