Sunday, May 10, 2009

French chicken in a pot


This easy and flavorful recipe is courtesy of Cooks Illustrated.
The recipe's method basically steams the chicken in the oven to create the most succulent poultry you could imagine. Chicken that tastes like chicken, novel concept! Not to mention the heavenly au jus rendered from the process. The second best part of this recipe is how amazing your house will smell while making it!

French Chicken in a Pot


1 (4 1/2 - 5 lb) roasting chicken
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
6 whole garlic cloves, peeled & smashed
1 bay leaf
1 med. rosemary sprig
1/2 - 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Heat oven to 250. Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Heal oil in dutch oven over med. heat until just smoking. Add chicken, breast side down, scatter onion, celery, garlic, bay leaf and herb around chicken. Cook until breast is browned, about 5 minutes.

Using tongs inserted in cavity, flip breast side up and cook until chicken and veggies are well browned, 6-8 minutes.

Remove dutch oven from heat; place large sheet of foil over pot and cover tightly with the lid. Transfer pot to oven and cook until thermometer reads 160 degrees in the breast, and 175 degrees in the thickest part of the thigh (80-110 minutes).

Transfer chicken to carving board, tent w/foil and let rest for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, strain juices from pot through a fine mesh strainer into a fat separator. Discard solids, you should have about 3/4 cup juices. Allow liquid to settle 5 minutes, then pour into a sauce pan over low heat. Carve chicken, adding accumulated juices to the saucepan. Stir lemon juice into jus to taste.



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