And the winner, winner, chicken dinner is… pan-roasted chicken

So, what’s a winning chicken dinner? Here’s a hint: it doesn’t come in a cardboard bucket. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a time and place for everything, even greasy, finger-lickin’ fast food. In my poultry pageant, however, my winning chicken dish would be: a) delicious, b) easy, and best of all, c) low-maintenance, i.e., using easily available ingredients and requiring minimal pot/pan cleanup.

You can choose to sauté the chicken on your stovetop, which is delicious, too. I live in a condo, though, so oil spatters on my stove, walls and clothes, as well as lingering fry smells, tend to make me think twice before cooking. And in an ideal world, winners shouldn’t give you pause. Hey, it’s my pageant, right?

This chicken is roasted in the oven, after which you transfer the pan to the stovetop and make a quick sauce. This dish is as minimalist and basic as it gets, but feel free to get creative, adding other fresh or dried herbs, lemon, garlic and/or anything else that suits your chicken fancy. Hey, like I said, it’s a pageant winner. It tastes great with nearly anything and everything. Think of it as the Miss Congeniality of chicken.

So, put away the takeout menu and say, “Bye-bye, cardboard bucket.”  But feel free to put on a cardboard crown or tiara (on you, not the chicken) after you make this, because you know you just nailed the talent portion.

Recipe File

Pan-Roasted Chicken

Ingredients:

1 chicken, cut into serving pieces (1-1.5 kgs)

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 tablespoons butter, softened + 1 tablespoon butter, chilled

3 tablespoons fresh herbs, finely chopped or 1 tablespoon dried (Optional: Use any other herbs, spices and flavorings of your choice, such as rosemary, tarragon, lemon, garlic, chili powder, etc., in varying quantities or omit altogether. For this, I used dried sage.)

1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots

2 tablespoons dry white wine

1/2 cup chicken broth

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 450F/200C.

Mix 2/3 of your herbs (if using) into your softened butter and rub on the chicken pieces and underneath the skin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Place chicken in an ovenproof skillet (cast iron is ideal) skin side up and place in heated oven.

Roast for 45-50 minutes or until skin is a rich golden brown or until a food thermometer shows chicken’s internal temperature at 165F/75C.

Remove the chicken pieces and arrange them neatly on a serving dish, piling them up as necessary.  Keep warm.

Transfer the skillet to a stovetop burner on medium-high. Pour off the fat from the skillet and add the shallots.  Cook, stirring briefly, and add the wine and remaining herbs (if using).  Cook until reduced by half.

Add the chicken broth and simmer, stirring to blend well, about 1 minute.  Continue to cook and when the sauce is reduced to about one-half cup, swirl in the remaining tablespoon of chilled butter.  Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings

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For questions, comments and suggestions, email me at Johanna@realgirltoykitchen.com or follow me on FB (Real Girl Toy Kitchen)/IG: realgirltoykitchen.