Braising a chicken on a slow Sunday is kind of a secret weapon to a perfect weekend. Because a Dutch oven allows you to do everything in one pot, it keeps the dirty dishes down to a minimum. It also creates some delicious, moist chicken and a stupendous pan gravy for serving. And because it cooks for almost two hours with minimal babysitting, you can fit in some reading, gardening, or a nap! (Who am I kidding? It’s fitting in another load of laundry and some homework help.)
This recipe is a traditional mix of carrots, celery, and lemon with a healthy dose of rosemary. Feel free to add your twist to the vegetable and herb mix. This is a method of cooking a chicken that is very versatile and allows for your creativity to come through!
Rosemary Braised Chicken in a Dutch Oven
Ingredients:
1 whole 4-5 lb. chicken, gizzards and organ meat removed
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
1 tablespoon of olive oil
2 tablespoons of butter
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup of pearl onions, peeled
1 shallot, finely diced
4 carrots, sliced
4 celery ribs, chopped
2 to 3 sprigs of rosemary
1 lemon, juiced and zested
2 1/2 cups of chicken broth (we like better than bouillon)
2 teaspoons of finely grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. softened butter
buttered noodles on the side
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425˚. Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper and truss the legs.
In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 1 Tbsp. of olive oil. Brown the chicken on both sides (about 10 minutes on each side) then take out and set aside.
In the remaining oil sauté the garlic and the shallot until softened then add the carrots and celery and cook until just tender, about 10 minutes. Next, add the rosemary and cook until fragrant, about one minute. Add the lemon juice and scrape up any additional brown bits from the chicken. Add the broth, the pearl onions, lemon zest, and a teaspoon of salt and bring to just boil. Return the chicken to the pan, breast side up, and cover. Place in the oven and cook for 1 1/2 hours, then uncover for the last 10 minutes to brown on top. Baste the chicken occasionally during the whole time with the braising juices. While the chicken is cooking, make a paste with 2 tablespoons of softened butter and 2 tablespoons of flour, and set aside. Check the doneness by making sure that the temperature is around 165˚ in the thickest part of the thigh and juices run clear. When the chicken is ready, remove it from the pan. Remove the vegetables from the pan as well and plate them on the serving platter.
Remove any chicken remnants from the juices and put the dutch oven back on the stove with just the braising juice. Heat over a medium flame. Whisk the butter paste, and bring to a boil and simmer until thickened. Carve the chicken after it rested for 10 minutes and place cut chicken over the plated vegetables. Pour the sauce over the chicken and vegetables and serve immediately with buttered noodles.
Photo How-To:
Flora is an award-winning creative director in Chicago turned food and lifestyle blogger extraordinaire. She is also author to the popular BEE NATIVE! gardening book series and various children's books that celebrate the wonder and hard work of bees and butterflies. Her blog and social spaces inspire thousands to create, learn, cook, grow, and craft, making their world lovelier one pixel/petal/seed/bite/stitch/brushstroke at a time. Follow her on all the social spaces, YouTube, and Amazon, and get creative!
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