Wednesday, February 10, 2010

French Chicken in a Pot --- the other best way to cook a Synergy chicken


The meat is gorgeously juicy!!!



From Cook's Illustrated with their wonderfully detailed recipes!

One synergy chicken, any size you choose, wings tucked under back
1 tblsp olive oil

3 large Synergy garlic cloves

1 small onion
1 bay leaf

salt and pepper
optional fresh rosemary

1 tsp lemon juice


And, special equipment:
DUTCH OVEN or other oven safe large pot plus a sheet of aluminum foil


Place oven rack in lowest position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Pat your chicken dry and season it with salt and pepper.

Heat the oilve oil in your large dutch oven over medium heat just until smoking. Add chicken, breast side down; scatter onion, garlic, bay leaf, and optional rosemary around chicken. Cook until breast is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Using a wooden sppon inserted into the cavity of the bird, flip the chicken and cook other side until well browned, about 6-8 minutes.

Remove dutch oven from heat and if you are concerned your dutch oven does not have a tight seal, or are using teh large oven safe pot rather than a dutch oven, then cover the pot with aluminum foil and then place lid tightly on top. Transfer it to the oven and cook for 80-110 minutes till cooked through. Check it as often as possible, so as to not let too much of the juices escape as steam.


Transfer chicken to a cutting board, tent with foil and let rest for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, strain chicken juices from the pot and skim and discard solids and fat. You'll have about 3/4 cup juices. Allow the juices to settle for about 5 minutes.

Pour juices into saucepan and as you carve the chicken add any other juices into saucepan. Then, tasting as you go, add up to 1 tsp lemon juice into what is now your "jus." Serve chicken with jus in a gravy boat at the table.