Cowboy Day Cook-Along #5 – Elizabeth Taylor’s Chicken Steamed in Wine and Haricots Verts (2024)

Greg of Recipes For Rebels has excelled himself this year for his Cowboy Day Cook-along. Remember the scene in Giant (1956) where Elizabeth Taylor faints when she’s served a big spoonful of roasted cow’s head at a BBQ?

Actually, I don’t know if it’s a spoonful of cow’s head or something else and it is just the sight of the cow’s head that gives her the vapours, but whatever, it’s a great faint.

Greg recreated the whole Texas BBQ shebang in Indiana and if you want to see how to throw the party of all parties, watch his video – it is a work of genius and will make your heart glad. I laughed my head off in bed reading Greg’s blog post about his quest to find a cow’s head to bake in a pit (in the end he had to buy a set of three) – he’s a VEGETARIAN but in his quest to recreate the BBQ scene he went the whole hog (!) I just loved all the creative touches Greg brought to the party like gun holsters to hold the cutlery and a Little Reata sign in his garden.

Things were a little more sedate here at Silver Screen Suppers Towers. Me and Mr R had just got back from our annual summer holiday on Mersea Island and were somewhat pooped. We’d spent several days whooping it up with gallons of beer and of course, lots of seafood. Our beloved Company Shed is still only doing takeaway because of ongoing Covid stuff

but we got the obligatory shot of me with a big prawn…

This photo is taken at our new discovery, a fabulous new (to us) AirB&B on the Island. There’s a link here if you fancy staying in a heavenly holiday hideaway for a few days…

I knew I’d be knackered after our break, so had planned out a simple dinner for Cowboy Day. I made Elizabeth Taylor’s Chicken Steamed in Wine accompanied by her Haricots Verts. I’ve written about Liz’s chicken recipe many times as it is definitely in my top 3 movie star recipes (it’s probably #1 actually). I’m going to do another blog post about the version I made for Cowboy Day as I poached a whole chicken in my BIG slow cooker and it was SUPERB! I’m including the original recipe below but if you have a slow cooker (crock pot) big enough to steam a chicken in, do keep your eyes peeled for that post as I am rather proud of myself for having faith that I could adapt this recipe. It was a rip-roaring success. YEEHAW.

We had a lovely lazy day watching Giant on the big screen of my home cinema (ie the lounge wall)

I did miss the camaraderie of the big old Cowboy Day parties we usually have chez Battenburgbelle…

but fingers crossed my lovelies, hopefully this time next year we will be safe and free to mingle with as many cowboys and cowgirls as we like.

Here’s Liz’s chicken. After cooking it in the slow cooker for about 5 hours I stuck it under the grill to crisp up the skin.

Liz’s pimped up green beans were a perfect accompaniment so I reckon that will always be a side dish for her chicken round these parts. Next time I might try popping some mini potatoes into the slow cooker with the chicken too. I am getting SO BOLD!

Oh, I used cherry tomatoes so I didn’t have to skin them – simple!

Elizabeth Taylor’s Chicken Steamed in Wine

“I know no way better to cook chicken than this. Because it is so elegant. It sounds difficult, but actually you will find that it is very easy.”

3-4 pound boiler-fryer cut in pieces

4 tablespoons salad or olive oil

Flour chicken lightly and brown in a heavy skillet or Dutch oven.

1 small onion, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 bay leaves

2 tablespoons minced parsley

¼ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 ½ cups dry Sauterne

Pour over chicken. Cover and simmer about an hour, or until tender.

And that’s it! It’s wonderful over rice, or just by itself. But do have French bread, or something to mop up the wonderful sauce.

Serves 6 to 8.

Thanks, Liz you gorgeous cowgirl, you!