Julia Child's Poulet Saute aux Herbes de Provence

Ingredients:

Chicken:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 1 3- to 3 1/2-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces, rinsed, patted dry
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme or savory
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, ground in spice mill or with mortar and pestle
• 3 unpeeled garlic cloves
• 2/3 cup dry white wine or 1/2 cup dry white vermouth

Sauce:

• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon dry white wine or dry white vermouth
• 2 to 3 tablespoons butter, cut into 1-inch cubes (optional)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, fresh fennel fronds, or fresh parsley (optional)

Preparation

For chicken:
Melt butter in large wide pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, if necessary, add chicken pieces and cook only until golden, turning occasionally, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer chicken breast pieces to plate. Sprinkle remaining chicken pieces in pot with half each of thyme, basil, and fennel seeds, then salt and pepper. Add garlic to pot. Cover pot; reduce heat to medium and cook 8 to 9 minutes. Sprinkle chicken breasts with remaining thyme, basil, and fennel seeds, then salt and pepper. Return breast pieces to pot; baste chicken with butter in pot. Cover and cook until chicken is cooked through, turning and basting occasionally, about 15 minutes. Transfer to hot platter; cover.

Remove peel from garlic cloves; mash garlic with spoon or fork in same pot. Add 2/3 cup wine to juices in pot; boil until liquid is reduced to 3/4 cup, occasionally scraping bottom of pan, about 8 minutes. Pour reduced pan juices into measuring cup and reserve for sauce.

For sauce:
Off heat, whisk egg yolks in heavy small saucepan until beginning to thicken. Whisk in lemon juice and 1 tablespoon wine. Gradually whisk reserved pan juices into eggs, 1 teaspoon at a time. Set sauce over very low heat and whisk constantly until warm and slightly thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. If desired, whisk in butter, 1 piece at a time. Remove from heat. Stir in herbs, if desired. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve.