This Provencal Crust is so tasty, as a topping for Annabel's Chicken and Leek Gratin it is perfect, but Annabel has other suggestions for it's use as well. I've tried it as a topping for cauliflower cheese and it's amazing! Other suggestions include crust for a roast lamb, a topping for braised vegetables or spooned into mushrooms and baked. I don't know about you, but I always seem to be left with a few slices of bread and crusts in bread bags in my freezer, why doesn't everyone in my house just finish off a loaf before starting a new one?! When I find these bags with a couple of slices in them, I lay them out on a baking tray and leave them for a day or so to dry out before turning them into bread crumbs, so it wasn't a problem finding enough pieces of day old bread in my house for this recipe!
Now, as my friends will tell you, I am not a huge anchovy fan but decided to be true to Annabel by including them in this recipe, and I am glad I did. They certainly add flavour to this delicious crumby mixture without tasting fishy at all. My kids loved Annabel's Chicken and Leek Gratin but if I had told them there were anchovies in the crust, they wouldn't have gone near it. So I didn't say a word and they ate every mouthful - I love that!
Now, as my friends will tell you, I am not a huge anchovy fan but decided to be true to Annabel by including them in this recipe, and I am glad I did. They certainly add flavour to this delicious crumby mixture without tasting fishy at all. My kids loved Annabel's Chicken and Leek Gratin but if I had told them there were anchovies in the crust, they wouldn't have gone near it. So I didn't say a word and they ate every mouthful - I love that!
I have actually made this dish a few times now as it is so easy and so delicious! I used to always cook with chicken fillets but am now a converted thigh girl! They have so much more favour and are often cheaper so why wouldn't you use them? I think the combination of chicken and leek is just perfect in lots of recipes, in fact I make a chicken and leek lasagne which has been my boy's favourite meal for a while, but Annabel's Chicken and Leek Gratin now comes pretty close! The Provencal Crust recipe which is the topping for the chicken will follow this one.
