Recipes for chicken and potatoes with Herbes de Provence

Salt and pepper

3 tablespoons sugar

4 split bone-in chicken breasts, about 12 ounces each

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon Herbes de Provence, rubbed

¼ cup minced shallot (about 1 medium)

1/3 cup dry white wine

1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley

In a large bowl, mix 1/3 cup salt, sugar, and 6 cups water, stirring to dissolve salt and sugar. Submerge chicken pieces skin side down, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Remove chicken, rinse, and dry with paper towels.

With the rack in center position, heat oven to 400 degrees. Rub chicken with 1½ tablespoons oil and sprinkle each breast with about ½ teaspoon Herbes de Provence, carefully loosening (but not completely removing) the skin to work some herbs under it. In a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1½ teaspoons oil until shimmering. Add chicken skin side down and cook, undisturbed, until bottom is browned, about 6 minutes. Turn chicken skin side up, move skillet to the oven, and roast until thickest part of the breasts registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 14 to 18 minutes. Move chicken to a platter, tent loosely with foil to keep warm, and set aside.

Using an oven mitt, carefully pour off all but 1½ teaspoons fat, place skillet over medium-high heat, add shallot and remaining Herbes de Provence, and cook, stirring, to soften, about 1 minute. Add wine and simmer vigorously, stirring with a wooden spoon and scraping bottom of pan to loosen and dissolve the fond, until liquid is reduced by half, about 2½ minutes. Add broth and accumulated chicken juices from the platter and simmer vigorously until reduced by about half and consistency is slightly syrupy, about 2½ minutes longer. Adjust heat to low, add butter, and stir constantly to incorporate it into the sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning with pepper to taste. Pour the sauce around the chicken, sprinkle with parsley, and serve at once.

Chicken and Rice With Leeks, Olives, and Herbes de Provence

Serves 4

3 medium trimmed leeks (about 2 pounds), white and light green parts halved lengthwise

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 chicken, about 4 pounds, cut into 10 serving pieces, or 3½ pounds bone-in chicken thighs, trimmed, rinsed, and dried

1½ tablespoons Herbes de Provence, rubbed

1 tablespoon minced or grated garlic (about 4 medium cloves)

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1½ cups long-grain white rice, rinsed under running water until the water runs mostly clear

¾ cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved lengthwise

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Lemon wedges, for serving

With the rack in the middle position, heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut 2 leeks into 1-inch half-moon pieces; chop remaining leek and reserve separately. In a large, heavy Dutch oven over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil until shimmering. Add the half-moon leek pieces and ½ teaspoon salt, and cook, covered and stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Scrape them into a bowl and set aside to cool.

Wipe the pot, adjust heat to medium-high, add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and heat until shimmering. Sprinkle chicken all over with salt and pepper, place the pieces skin side down in the pot (do not crowd — brown in 2 batches if necessary), and cook undisturbed until skin is browned, about 4 minutes. Turn chicken pieces and cook until second side is browned, about 4 minutes longer (adjust heat if the pot becomes too hot). Transfer chicken to a large plate and repeat with remaining pieces if necessary. When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin. Pour all but 2 teaspoons fat from the pot.

Adjust heat to medium, add reserved chopped leek, Herbes de Provence, and ½ teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 40 seconds. Add broth, adjust heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add chicken and accumulated juices, return to a boil, adjust heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. (If using white-meat chicken, remove those pieces from the pot, cover tightly with foil, and set aside.) Add rice and 1 teaspoon salt, stir, cover, transfer pot to oven, and cook, stirring from the bottom up every 10 minutes, until rice is tender and chicken is very tender and pulling away from the bone, about 30 minutes.

Remove pot from oven, add half-moon leeks and olives (and white-meat chicken, if using), replace cover, and rest until leeks and olives are heated, about 5 minutes. Stir in leeks and olives; taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary. Add most of parsley, stir to mix, sprinkle with remaining parsley, and serve at once with lemon wedges.

Roasted Potatoes With Herbes de Provence and Garlic

Serves 6

3 pounds small redskin, Yukon Gold, or creamer potatoes (about 18 2-inch-diameter), scrubbed and larger ones halved

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons Herbes de Provence, rubbed

Salt and pepper

1½ teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 medium cloves)

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

With the rack in middle position, heat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, toss potatoes with 1½ tablespoons oil, Herbes de Provence, ½ teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Arrange in a single layer with any cut sides down on a large baking sheet and roast until potatoes are tender and cut sides browned, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle with remaining oil and the garlic, toss to distribute, return to oven, and bake until fragrant, about 4 minutes, shaking the pan once or twice (take care not to burn the garlic). Transfer potatoes to a serving bowl, taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary, sprinkle with parsley, gently toss to distribute, and serve at once.

Adam Ried appears regularly on America’s Test Kitchen. Send comments to cooking@globe.com.