French Style Meat (Chicken)

Does "French style" meat, as it's known at the Russian table, really take its origins in France? Not exactly... The Russian version is a distant reproduction of a dish prepared for the Count Orloff in 19th century France, a popular destination for Russian nobility.  He enjoyed the dish so much, it was named after him, and eventually served by his staff back home at Cathrine the Great's court.  Of course, a culture of culinary excess, this was a cardiologist job security dream.  Today, it can be found quite readily gracing most Russian tables, with varied interpretations that may include meat (originally veal) potatoes, mushrooms, cheese, onions, and most likely mayonnaise replacing the original béchamel sauce. 

Here's my version:

4 skinless chicken quarters

3 potatoes

1 onion

1 cup of your favorite grated cheese ( I used gruyere) 

1/3 cup mayo

1/3 cup sour cream

Salt + pepper

2 tbsp olive oil 

Season skinless chicken quarters with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet.

Slice onions on a mandolin and mix with a tbsp of oil. Sprinkle on the chicken. Slice potatoes on a mandolin, season with salt and 1 tbsp of olive oil. Arrange potatoes atop the chicken with some overlap. Bake at 385F for 25 minutes. Mix sour cream, mayo and cheese with smoked paprika. Remove the chicken from the oven and spread the cheese mix atop potatoes. Return to oven for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes raise the temp to 425 and watch for the cheese to turn a nice caramel color. Once it does, your "French" chicken is ready to remove from the oven and serve.