James Beard’s Farmer’s Chicken Recipe (2024)

I met James Beard once, in Seaside, Oregon. He stopped in at the small delicatessen there. My wonderful boss, and owner, Ken, introduced us and asked if I had questions for the maestro. I asked about keeping cheese. He was so kind, so accommodating. That was 1980-81. His advice? Wrap cheese tightly, as air diminishes the flavor and texture. I thought it amusing he preferred a prepared coleslaw we served, and asked for seconds with his lunch sandwich. A lovely man.

I prepared this last night and the result was beautiful and delicious. I will absolutely make it again.However, anybody who can cook this well within the prescribed one hour deserves a James Beard Award. I browned the chicken in two batches and ultimately needed 75+ minutes on the stove. Unless you're cooking on a volcano those reduction times are optimistic.

Second the comment on the time to prepare this dish. On the other hand, once the wine is opened.,.

brown the chicken in a pan side by side to the other ingredients. yes, 2 pans to wash, but you can get dinner on the table much quicker this way. and add a little of the chicken oil to the main saute pan. well worth the trouble to get to a delicious meal sooner.

Followed the recipe exactly using mostly bone-in thighs and a couple of legs. Give yourself time because this is not a quick dish. But it was well worth it. The sauce is delicious, and with 1 tablespoon of paprika, it had a little zing to it. It is a keeper and will make a great company dish once we get back to the real world of company and entertaining.

I used to get James Beard and Burl Ives mixed up, so I was humming as I cooked.This is a less-zingy version of Chicken Marbella. I prefer the flavor of the zingier one, but that one does have prunes, which can be risky. So I’ll keep both recipes. Thanks Burl.

This is a really great dish. Made it because my hubby thought it looked good. It is good. The combo of currants and olives make this a savory but slightly sweet Moroccan style dish. The added parsley and almond gremolata is a nice touch- do not leave that out. Served it with orzo. Will make this again and again.

Did Spanish Farmer’s Chicken inspire Chicken Marbella?

So... I did this with tiny modifications. 1. I added chopped garlic... 2. i was going to skip the currants entirely because I don't like them... but when I tried the sauce (which was great) I get that it needed a little sweet to give it depth- so I improvised with cranberries... it was SO lovely!

We used apricot instead of currants or raisins because that’s what we had on hand and it was delicious

This is a lovely, flavorful entree. It is classic comfort food when served with mash potatoes and a colorful roasted vegetable. I've made it twice (in my moms old '70s' electric skillet) and the results were clean plates and no leftovers. And it is an easy dish for weeknights and guests. Enjoy a glass of wine while it cooks alongside the veggies---- or use the time to bake a light lemon pudding cake for dessert.

A superb and hearty comfort dish that is even better the next day after a night in the fridge. The cooking times in the recipe seem rather…ambitious. Don’t be afraid to go lower and slower at the end. And that lemon zest at the end really provides a nice pop as counterbalance to the substantial earthiness of the rest of the dish. Nice!

We’ve made this dish twice now and the flavors are delightful! The only thing I altered was that I crisped the chicken skin under the broiler for a few minutes after cooking. It’s such a shame to take all that time to fry crispy chicken skin and then dunk it in sauce to get soggy. Other than that, it’s a perfect dish! So bright and flavorful. Can’t wait to make it for company!

Instead of stirring in the oregano and paprika before the wine, I put it in after alongside the stock, raisins, and olives. The taste was much stronger that way.

Don’t reduce sauce too much - lots of sauce is the star

This was alright. It had good flavor - I followed the recipe exactly because of the unusual combination (although I substituted craisins for raisins). I think this would work really well for a dinner party but I am dreading eating the leftovers (it just wasn't good enough to eat more than once but this recipe makes SO MUCH). I also think this recipe might have turned me off chicken thighs for a while.

I love vintage recipes with a story attached to them. Because the ingredients all seem counter-intuitive (oregano, paprika, and raisins), I followed the recipe exactly, and measured everything exactly. It turned out as it was supposed to, I hope. The sauce was rich, flavorful, balanced. For the last covered simmer, I added about a cup and a half of carrots sliced on the diagonal to make this a one dish meal. A wonderful dish worthy of serving for company or a simple Sunday supper.

The original recipe almost certainly called for a whole chicken, cut up. The current fad for using chicken thighs robs a dish of the delight of white meat, preferred by many, and the balance nature provides in a while bird.

Use a bigger pot like a 5 quart dutch oven. I made a recipe and a half and chose too small of a skillet and had several boil-overs which forced me to change pots midway through cooking.

Delicious, even though I substituted red wine for white. Who runs out of white wine???

Amazing in a slow cooker. Not so impressive on a skillet

Easy to make and delicious to eat. What more is there?

Some in my family get paprika hiccups, so I substituted with Aleppo Pepper, which worked beautifully. Family didn’t want to wait for full reduction, so I settled for a soupy dish and added more fresh lemon juice to bring out the flavors. Still so, so good. It’s on the keeper list.

This was delicious! I slightly thickened the sauce at the end which made it even better. Served with rice and a side of roasted carrots. Easy and family favorite!

Not sure what all the hype is about for this one. Made this for the family tonight and it was a swing and a miss. No one liked it. Ended up reheating leftover pizza instead. Way too sweet, flavors not interesting at all. One of the worst things we’ve made in a while. Typically we love NYT recipes, this one not so much.

Which farmers, I ask. Certainly not American, but its absolutely delicious and worth the timer.

Easy to prepare. Fresh and light flavors with the brightness of the lemon zest. The whole family loved it and enjoyed the leftovers just as much.