Chicken with White Wine and Lavender

In my kitchen there is this big drawer and this drawer is full of spices and herbs from all over the world. Fifty-two altogether. Among them you can find basil, oregano, thyme, marjoram, caraway seeds, curcuma, cumin, cinnamon, cilantro, cardamom, cloves, ginger, to name just a few. I love to open the drawer because whenever I do it this wonderful scent fills the air, a scent that I find difficult to describe. It is sweet, mysterious, tangy and charming all at the same time. Sometimes it is inspiring and sometimes it brings back memories. But I always fall under a magic spell, feel the fascination it creates. Have you ever been to the Spice Bazaar in Istanbul? If your answer is ‘yes’, have you also perceived this incredible scent that engulfs you on entering this bazaar? This is the place where all your senses are affected, where you never tire of looking at the amazing, vibrant colors , where you are spellbound by the smell that the heaps of spices radiate. They lend life, substance and depth to our dishes.

That’s exactly why there is this drawer in my kitchen. I cannot count the times when I have wished for a larger kitchen. Then I would have enough space for another and maybe another drawer. There are still so many more spices and herbs that would fill additional drawers in my kitchen. One of those herbs that hadn’t found their way into my kitchen drawer was lavender. The scent of Provence. A magic, extravagant color. A flower. A medicinal plant. Pictures of wide lavender fields enter my mind, an abundance of light purple when in bloom. Imagine this alluring fragrance!

Now you can find it in my drawer. This little jar with dried lavender flowers. And there are so many things that you can do with them. I can think of a hundred ways to use them in cooking. But for now, I will present you with a chicken recipe, my chicken with white wine and lavender. 🙂

Chicken with white wine and lavender

For the dry rub:

1 teaspoon dried lavender flowers
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon dried thyme

4 chicken breasts or 8 chicken thighs (with skin and bones)
some olive oil
½ – 1 cup (125-250 ml) white wine (according to the amount of sauce that you want to get; use soup alternatively)
2 tablespoons black olives
1 cup (150 g) feta cheese
½ tablespoon dried lavender flowers

Preheat the oven to 325°F (170°C, 150°C fan oven, gas mark 2).

For the dry rub, grind 1 teaspoon lavender flowers, the salt and the thyme in a mortar (or use a coffee grinder or your food processor). Mix them with the other ingredients for the dry rub (paprika, garlic powder).

Put the chicken into an ovenproof dish and sprinkle generously with olive oil. Pat the dry rub onto the chicken. Pour the wine into the dish and bake the chicken in the oven for 50 minutes.

Crumble the feta cheese. Scatter the cheese, the olives and ½ tablespoon lavender flowers on the chicken. Turn up the temperature of the oven to 425°F (220°C, 220°C fan oven, gas mark 7). Bake in the oven for another 15-20 minutes (according to the size of your chicken).

Serve with roast potatoes and green salad.

And here is the printing version of the recipe: