This is a great recipe to keep in your arsenal because it’s fairly hands off, and the entire meal cooks in one pot together. I love those kinds of meals! The rundown is a whole chicken that simmers / steams over top of chicken stock and white wine, along with carrots, potatoes, and some flavor boosters. I can promise you that it will be one of the moistest chickens you’ll ever eat.
Maybe I should mention that this is healthy too. This one comes from America’s Test Kitchen Light and Healthy cookbook 2010, it’s well worth the buy!
There is some bad news though (isn’t there always). If you’re a lover of crispy chicken skin, you won’t find it in this recipe. In fact, the chicken skin is a throw away after cooking (this is what you have to give up for a nice easy dinner). This meal also falls into the plain category in my books, but to Bo, it was absolutely heaven on a plate. He loved the texture of the vegetables, loved the sauce that is formed in the pot while everything cooks, he truly could find no wrong. I just wanted more kick, but I conceded, not everything has to be loaded with flavor. Sometimes it is nice to give your taste buds a break and just enjoy the natural flavors of the food.
First thing to do is get your chicken and veggies ready. Cut the potatoes into chunks, the carrots into 1” slices, and the onion and celery in half. Pat the chicken dry with paper towel.
Now, mix up some salt and pepper (2 tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp pepper)
Now’s the gross fun part. Separate the chicken skin from the breasts, then run the salt mixture under the skin directly onto the breasts, and then over the skin of the entire bird. This is the best picture I could manage to snap of this, sorry. I really need to get that tri-pod set up. This is only really gross feeling the first time you do it, I swear.
Here’s your salt and peppered chicken.
Now, get some vegetable oil smoking hot in a Dutch oven on your stove, then add the chicken, breast side up. Let it cook for 4 or 5 minutes over medium-high heat, until lightly browned.
Take it out and put it on a plate. We’re not browning the rest of the bird, we just wanted a little bit of flavor from the bottom, and the dark meat down there takes longer to cook, so this won’t dry it out.
Now, pour out most of the fat in the pan, then add your carrots, onion, and celery to the pot.
Cook them for about 8 to 10 minutes over medium-high heat, until browned and caramelized in spots.
Add your garlic and stir it around for 30 seconds.
Add the wine and chicken stock, and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.
Voila!
Now, place your chicken in the pot with the breast side up. I did not place my chicken in breast side up. This is why it is called Kitchen Trials. Because I screw up A LOT. Oh well. Any way, once the chicken is in the pot, throw some salt and pepper on your potatoes, then add them around the chicken. Throw the lid on, and toss it in the oven for about an hour.
This is the beauty you have when it comes out. OK, so maybe it’s not a beauty, but I told you that the skin would be a throw away.
Put the chicken on a plate, and use a slotted spoon to put the potatoes and carrots on a platter. Just throw out the celery and onion, they’re way to soft to be any good. Tent them both with foil to stay warm while you quickly finish up the sauce.
Whip out a small sauce pan, and a fine mesh strainer. Then pour all the liquid left in the bottom of your pot into the strainer. Do not skip straining, there are so many little funky pieces of chicken, vegetable, and fat that you do not want in here.
Toss in some freshly chopped parsley and chives, give it a stir, and bring it up to a boil for a couple of minutes. We’re just heating it up and blending the flavors here.
Here’s the finished sauce. Carve up your chicken and put the pieces on top of the veggies on the platter. Pour the sauce over everything (you probably won’t need it all, I used about half). Then just sprinkle on some more of the chopped parsley and chives.
Look at that moist chicken!
Here it is, a nice, well rounded meal all cooked in one pot! Awesome!
Here’s your printable:
Chicken Dinner in a Pot
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken, giblets removed
- salt
- pepper
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 lb carrots (about 6), peeled and cut into 1" slices
- 1 onion, peeled, cut in half
- 1 celery rib, cut in half
- 6 garlic cloves, minced (about 3 tsp)
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1½ lbs small red potatoes, cut into chunks
- 1½ tbsp minced fresh chives
- 1½ tbsp minced fresh parsley
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 350ºF with a rack in the lower-middle position.
- Mix together 2 teaspoons of kosker salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then use your fingers to loosen the skin from the breasts of the chicken. Rub the salt and pepper mixture under the skin onto the breasts, then over the skin of the entire bird. Tie the legs and wings of the bird to hold it all together.
- Heat the oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, breast side up, and cook for about 4 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove chicken to a plate.
- Drain off all but 1 tbsp of fat from the pot. Add the carrots, onion, and celery and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until well browned. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
- Add the wine and chicken stock, then use a wooden spoon to scrap up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Add the chicken back into the pot, breast side up. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper, then add to the pot around the chicken.
- Cover with a piece of aluminum foil, then put the lid on and place in the oven. Bake for about 60 minutes, until the thickest part of the breast registers 165º on an instant read thermometer.
- Remove the chicken to a plate, and use a slotted spoon to transfer the vegetables to a platter (discard the onion and celery). Tent both with foil to keep warm.
- Pour the remaining sauce through a fine mesh strainer into a small sauce pan. Add 1 tablespoon each of minced chives and parsley. Bring to a boil stirring frequently.
- Carve the chicken, and place the meat over the vegetables. Pour the sauce over both, then top with remaining minced chives and parsley.
[nutr-label servings=’4′ calories=’580′ totalfat=’15’ satfat=’3.5′ transfat=’0′ cholesterol=’175′ sodium=’670′ carbohydrates=’41’ fiber=’69’ protein=’59’]
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