Category: Entrees – Chicken

Servings: 4 to 6
Preheat: 325
Prep Time: 
Source: ALISON ROMAN – New York Times

There are about a million ways to roast a chicken, and people will always tell you that theirs is the best way. Here is the truth: If you smear a good, high-quality chicken with enough fat, season it with plenty of salt and roast it until the skin is brown, it will always be excellent. But it’s slow-roasting that gives you golden skin, tender meat and plenty of salty, savory chicken juices to serve as a sauce. From the simple assortment of ingredients to the ridiculously hands-off preparation, this recipe from Alison Roman’s cookbook “Nothing Fancy” (Clarkson Potter, 2019) is casual in a way that feels almost lazy (but isn’t), with make-sounds-after-you-take-a-bite levels of deliciousness. To truly put it over the top, add a few anchovies to the tomatoes.

Ingredients: 

1 (3 1/2- to 4-pound) whole chicken
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup olive oil
1 ½ tablespoons fennel seeds, crushed in a mortar and pestle or spice mill, or chopped with a knife
1 bunch fresh oregano
1 ½ pounds small vine-ripened tomatoes (about 6), halved lengthwise
2 heads of garlic, halved crosswise (it’s fine to leave the skin on)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar
4 to 6 (1-inch-thick) slices of good country bread, such as country loaf or sourdough, toasted (optional)

Directions: 

Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. (If you can do this in advance, please do.) Drizzle it with the olive oil and sprinkle with the fennel seeds.

Stuff the cavity with half the oregano and place in a large baking dish. Scatter the tomatoes, garlic, butter and remaining oregano around the chicken. Roast until the chicken is golden brown and completely cooked through, and the tomatoes are nice and jammy, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

Add the vinegar to the tomatoes and let the chicken rest in the baking dish for 10 minutes.

Place toast, if using, on serving platter and spoon the jammy tomatoes over or around the toast. Carve the chicken and place on top of the toast to catch the juices.

Servings: 6
Preheat: 0
Prep Time: 2 hours
Source: Adapted from the 1975 edition of the New Orleans Cookbook Paperback by Rima and Richard Collin

Ingredients: 

2 Tbs oil
1 fryer (3-4 lb). Cut up thighs in two, breast halves into 4, and remove small winglet
4 C chopped onio
3/4 C chopped green pepper
3/4 C thingly sliced scallion tops
1 Tbs finely minced garlic
3 Tbs parsley, chopped
1/2 C ham, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 lb pork, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
6 Creole/Andouille sausage, sliced into 1/2-inch disks
1 1/2 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder
2 who bay leaves, crushed
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
1 1/2 C long grain rice
2 1/4 C water

Directions: 

Heat oil in a 7-8 quart pot at high temperature. Brown the chicken parts on all sides. Remove from pot, leaving oil behind.

Saute vegetables, parsley, ham, and pork in pot. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently for approximately 15 minutes until the vegetables are softened, and perhaps browned.

Add the sausage and seasoning and continue cooking for 5 minutes, then add in browned chicken pieces, rice, and water. Mix gently.

Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Cover pot and reduce heat to very low. Cook for approximately 45 minutes with cover on, stirring occasionally, until rice is cooked. Uncover the pot during the last 10 minutes of cooking and raise heat to medium. Stir gently as rice dries out.

Servings: 4 to 6
Preheat: 
Prep Time: 1 hour
Source: My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz

This one-pan meal is a perfect fit for your largest, most extravagant pot. This dish requires you to brown the thighs and legs. Unless you have a very large skillet or a Dutch oven, fry the chicken in batches—you want them to have room to brown, not steam, which overcrowding creates. This dish is best served with a tangle of Herbed fresh pasta, which is exactly the right vehicle for sopping up the delicious sauce, or celery root puree.

Ingredients: 

½ cup (135g), plus 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon sweet or smoked paprika
Freshly ground black pepper
¾ teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
4 chicken thighs and 4 legs (8 pieces, total)
1 cup (100g) diced smoked thick-cut bacon
1 small onion, peeled and finely diced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, or ½ teaspoon dried
1 cup (250ml) white wine
1 tablespoon whole mustard seeds or grainy mustard
2 to 3 tablespoons crème fraîche (page 327) or heavy cream
Warm water (optional)
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley or chives, for garnish

Directions: 

Mix ½ cup (135g) of the Dijon mustard in a bowl with the paprika, a few generous grinds of the pepper mill, and the salt. Toss the chicken pieces in the mustard mixture, lifting the skin and rubbing some of it underneath.

Heat a wide skillet with a cover or a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the bacon. Cook the bacon, stirring frequently, until it’s cooked through and just starting to brown. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain on paper towels. Leave about 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in the pan, discarding the rest. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until soft and translucent. Stir in the thyme, and let cook for another few minutes, and then scrape the cooked onion into a bowl.

Add a little bit of olive oil to the pan, if necessary, and place the chicken pieces in the pan in a single layer. (If they don’t all fit, cook them in two batches.) Cook over medium-high heat, browning them well on one side, then flip them over and brown them on the other side. It’s important to get the chicken nicely colored as the coloring—as well as the darkened bits on the bottom of the pan, called the fond—will give the finished sauce its delicious flavor.

Remove the chicken pieces and put them in the bowl with the onions. Add the wine to the hot pan, scraping the darkened bits off the bottom with a sturdy flat utensil. Return the chicken pieces to the pan along with the bacon and onions. Cover and cook over low to medium heat, turning the chicken in the sauce a few times during cooking, until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Check doneness by sticking a knife into the meat next to the thigh bone; if it’s red, continue cooking for a few more minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard, the mustard seeds, and the crème fraîche. If the sauce has reduced and is quite thick, you can thin it with a little warm water. Sprinkle chopped parsley over the top and serve.

Servings: 4
Preheat: 0
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Source: People Magazine, April 24, 2013

Ingredients: 

1 1b. ground chicken (preferably dark meat)
2 garlic cloves, very finely minced
½ cup cilantro, finely chopped
2 shallots, very finely minced
1 tsp. very finely minced red pepper, or red chili if you like it hot
2 tsp. fish sauce
½ tsp. coarse sea salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. canola, grapeseed or safflower oil

Directions: 

1. Thoroughly mix the chicken with the garlic, cilantro, shallots, red chili, fish sauce, salt, and pepper. Form the mixture into 4 burgers, each about ¾-inch thick.

2. Heat a grill or grill pan over medium heat. Rub each burger on both sides with a bit of oil and grill for about 8 minutes on the first side and another 5 minutes on the second, or until nicely marked and firm to the touch.

Servings: 4
Preheat: 400
Prep Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Source: Sam Sifton, http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017327-roasted-chicken-provencal

This is a recipe I picked up from Steven Stolman, a clothing and interior designer whose “Confessions of a Serial Entertainer” is a useful guide to the business and culture of dinner parties and general hospitality. It is a perfect dinner-party meal: chicken thighs or legs dusted in flour and roasted with shallots, lemons and garlic in a bath of vermouth and under a shower of herbes de Provence. They go crisp in the heat above the fat, while the shallots and garlic melt into sweetness below. You could serve with rice, but I prefer a green salad and a lot of baguette to mop up the sauce.

Ingredients: 

4 chicken legs or 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2-3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons herbes de Provence
1 lemon, quartered
8-10 cloves garlic, peeled
4-6 medium-size shallots, peeled and halved
⅓ cup dry vermouth
4 sprigs of thyme, for serving

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 400. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Put the flour in a shallow pan, and lightly dredge the chicken in it, shaking the pieces to remove excess flour.

Swirl the oil in a large roasting pan, and place the floured chicken in it. Season the chicken with the herbes de Provence. Arrange the lemons, garlic cloves and shallots around the chicken, and then add the vermouth to the pan.

Put the pan in the oven, and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, then baste it with the pan juices. Continue roasting for an additional 25 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken is very crisp and the meat cooked through.

Serve in the pan or on a warmed platter, garnished with the thyme.

Servings: 8
Preheat: 325°
Source: Cooking Light, October 1998
The squash-and-bean mixture (paragraphs 1 and 2 in the method) can be prepared a day ahead of time; cover and refrigerate.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon stick margarine or butter $
2 cups chopped onion, divided $
2 garlic cloves, minced $
1/2 cup dry Marsala or apple cider $
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme, divided
3/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided $
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano $
2 cups water
2 cups diced peeled acorn squash $
1 cup diced carrot $
2 (15-ounce) cans Great Northern beans, drained
1 pound skinned, boned chicken breast $
2 bacon slices $
1/2 pound smoked turkey sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices $

Directions
Melt margarine in a large ovenproof Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 1 cup onion and garlic, and sauté for 5 minutes. Add Marsala, parsley, 1/4 teaspoon thyme, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1/4 teaspoon salt, basil, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Spoon into a bowl; set aside.
Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, 2 cups water, squash, and carrot in pan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Partially mash the beans with a potato masher, and add beans and tomato mixture to pan. Cook over medium-low heat 30 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat.
Preheat oven to 325°.
Rub chicken with 1/2 teaspoon thyme and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; set aside. Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; crumble bacon, and set aside. Add chicken to bacon drippings in pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove chicken from skillet; cut into 1-inch pieces. Add 1 cup onion and sausage to skillet; sauté 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add the chicken, crumbled bacon, and sausage mixture to bean mixture in pan, stirring to combine.
Cover and bake at 325° for 1 hour. Uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes.

Servings: 6-8
Source: Fine Cooking September 2006
The crisp, intensely flavored sage leaves are delicious eaten with the chicken and sausage on these skewers.

Ingredients
2½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 7 or 8), trimmed of excess fat and cut in half (the pieces should be roughly equal in size; if the thighs are large, cut them in thirds or quarters)
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons Rosemary-Garlic oil (see the recipe below)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
Kosher salt and freshly
ground black pepper

1½ pounds sweet Italian sausage links, cut into 2-inch pieces
24 large fresh sage leaves

Rosemary-Garlic Oil

Yields 1½ cups.

1½ cups extra virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
3 sprigs fresh rosemary

Heat the olive oil and garlic in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the garlic starts to bubble steadily, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the rosemary, remove from the heat, and let cool to room temperature. Transfer to a clean glass jar or other storage container, cover, and refrigerate. Use within five days.

Directions
Up to a day ahead and at least a couple of hours before serving, toss the chicken in a medium bowl with 2 tablespoons of the oil, the rosemary, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper.

If the grill isn’t already fired up, heat a gas grill to medium or prepare a medium hot charcoal fire. Divide the remaining ½ cup oil into two small bowls (one for grilling and one for serving). Alternately thread three pieces of sausage, three pieces of chicken, and four sage leaves onto six 12-inch metal skewers (or wooden skewers that have been soaked in water for ½ hour).

Grill the skewers, covered, until one side is browned and has good grill marks, about 4 minutes. Brush with some of the rosemary-garlic oil, flip, and cook the other side until it, too, has good grill marks, about 4 minutes. Brush with more oil and flip again. Continue cooking, flipping, and brushing with oil until the sausage and chicken are both cooked through (check by slicing into a couple of the thicker pieces), about another 10 minutes.

Let cool for a couple of minutes and then arrange on a platter, drizzle on the remaining oil, and set out for guests to serve themselves.

Servings: 6
Source: Gourmet, 2/79

Ingredients
2½ -pound chicken
1/3 cup rice wine
2 tablespoon minced gingerroot
3 ½ ounces rice sticks (mi fen)
3 Tbsp imported sesame oil
2 unwaxed seedless cucumbers
salt
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1½ tablespoons Chinese sesame paste, well stirred, or peanut butter
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced minced scallion
½ teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon of chili paste
1 teaspoon of Chinese black vinegar or Worcestershire sauce

Directions
In a kettle combine a 2½ -pound chicken, 10 cups water, 1/3 cup rice wine, and 2 slices of gingerroot, each the size of a quarter, flattened with the flat side of a cleaver, bring the liquid to a boil, skimming any froth that rises to the surface, and simmer the chicken, covered, turning it once, for 40 minutes. Remove the kettle from the heat and let the chicken stand in the broth for 15 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it cool, loosely covered with foil. Remove and discard the gingerroot, transfer 1/3 cup of the broth to a small bowl, and reserve the remaining broth in the kettle.

In a bowl let 3 ½ ounces rice sticks (mi fen) soften in hot water to cover for 15 minutes. Bring the reserved broth in the kettle to a boil, add the rice sticks, drained, and cook them for 1 minutes. Drain the rice sticks well and in a bowl toss them with 1 teaspoon imported sesame oil.

Halve lengthwise 2 unwaxed seedless cucumbers and cut each half crosswise into 4-inch sections. With a vegetable peeler or very sharp knife shred each section lengthwise into paper-thin slices. In a colander toss the slices with 1 tablespoon salt and let them drain for 20 minutes. In a bowl toss the cucumber with 1 teaspoon imported sesame oil.

Add to the broth in the small bowl 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1½ tablespoons Chinese sesame paste, well stirred, or peanut butter, 1 tablespoon each of imported sesame oil, minced garlic, minced scallion, and peeled and minced gingerroot, ½ teaspoons sugar, and 1 teaspoon each of chili paste and Chinese black vinegar or Worcestershire sauce. Skin and bone the chicken, leaving the breast meat in 1 piece. Cut the breast meat into bite-size cubes and reserve it. Shred the remaining meat and in a bowl toss it with two thirds of the sesame sauce. Arrange the rice sticks in one layer on a platter and arrange the cucumber on them. Arrange the shredded chicken on the cucumber and top it with the reserved breast meat. Drizzle the remaining sauce over the dish and sprinkle it with 2 tablespoons minced scallion tops. Serves 6 as an entire or 8 as a first course.

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 45 min
Source: Gourmet
December 1998
Gourmet’s Quick Kitchen

Ingredients
6 kumquats
2 large shallots
1 chicken, split in half
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
4 tablespoons sugar
2/3 cup water
6 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
8 cups packed spinach leaves (from about 2 bunchs)

Directions
Separately cut kumquats and shallot crosswise into thin slices, discarding any kumquat seeds. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place large rack on large rimmed baking sheet. Arrange chicken, skin side down, on rack. Preheat broiler. Broil chicken halves on rack on baking sheet until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Turn chicken over and broil until skin is charred, about 5 minutes, or broil chicken parts 1 minute, then turn and broil until skin is charred, about 5 minutes. Remove from broiler.
Set oven temperature at 450°F. Roast chicken on rack on same sheet until cooked through, about 25 minutes for halves and 14 minutes for parts.
While chicken is roasting, saute shallot in 1Tbs butter in skillet and cook, stirring frequently, 1 minute. Sprinkle sugar over shallot and cook, undisturbed, until sugar is melted and golden. Immediately stir in kumquats, water, vinegar, and red pepper flakes and simmer, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Stir in parsley and salt to taste and, if sauce is too liquid, simmer until thickened to desired consistency, about 1 minute.
Transfer two thirds sauce to a small bowl and to remainder add spinach and salt to taste, turning with tongs until just wilted.
When chicken is done, transfer halves to board. Cut each into 4 pieces, or cut each chicken breast in half and leave thighs intact. Arrange chicken on platter and keep warm, covered. Divide spinach between 2 plates and top with chicken. Spoon sauce over chicken.

Servings: 4
Source: Fine Cooking 12/2001 pg 61
A simple mixture of parsley, lemon zest, and garlic, gremolata is the vibrantly flavored garnish traditionally sprinkled over braised veal shanks in the Italian dish called osso buco. Here, it’s stirred into a pan sauce, which gives the chicken a wonderful lift.

Ingredients
1/3 cup packed finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1 large clove garlic, minced
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 6 oz. each) or
8 boneless, skinless thighs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Flour for coating the chicken
2 Tbs. canola oil
1/2 cup homemade or low-salt canned chicken broth
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

Directions
In a small bowl, combine the parsley, lemon zest, and garlic; set aside. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and coat both sides with flour. In a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When it’s very hot, add the chicken and brown on both sides, 3 to 4 min. per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Pour the broth and lemon juice into the skillet and boil for 1 min., stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape up all the browned bits. Return the chicken to the pan, lower the heat to medium, cover, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, 3 to 5 min. (Total cooking time will depend on the thickness of the breasts; cut into one to see if it’s done.) Transfer the chicken to a serving plate. . Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve at once.

Can be made in advance without adding the gremolata mixture into the sause. Reheat, then stir the gremolata into the pan sauce

Even better served over sauted spinach.