Chicken and Egg - Janice Cole [101]
While the porcini are soaking, heat a large ovenproof pot, such as a Dutch oven, over medium-high heat and heat the oil. Brown the chicken in batches for 4 to 6 minutes, turning once. Remove the chicken, add the onion, and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for 15 seconds, stirring constantly.
Return the chicken to the pot and nestle the potatoes, carrots, and cremini and porcini mushrooms all around. Pour in the soaking liquid from the mushrooms and add enough of the broth to come about halfway up the chicken. Stir in the salt and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center and the vegetables are tender. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter. Boil the pan juices over high heat for 5 to 8 minutes or until slightly thickened (or the consistency you prefer).
Serve the chicken and vegetables accompanied by the pan juices.
SERVES 6
¾ cup boiling water
1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms or other dried mushrooms
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
One 3-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces
1 ½ cups coarsely chopped onion (1 to 2 onions)
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
6 unpeeled small red potatoes (about 1 pound), quartered
3 carrots, cut crosswise into 4 pieces each
8-ounces cremini (baby bella) mushrooms, halved
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth, or as needed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Roast Chicken with Crispy Smashed Potatoes
As much as I love new ingredients and different flavor combinations, there are times when a meal of meat and potatoes is simply the best. The roast chicken, slathered with butter and seasoned with salt and pepper, shines on its own without competing flavors. Look for a bird that has been well taken care of and allowed pasture time to roam. Its flavor will be fuller, richer, and tastier than a confined bird. You may want to make extra potatoes for the potato lovers in your group. A cross between roasted potatoes and mashed potatoes, they’re crisp and dripping with the flavor of the buttery chicken. They may well be the best-tasting potatoes you’ve ever eaten.
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Preheat the oven to 425°F. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels so the butter will adhere to the skin, and tuck the wings behind the back. Sprinkle the chicken all over with ½ teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Coat the chicken with 4 tablespoons of the butter, using your hands to slather the butter all over. Place the chicken, breast-side up, in the center of a shallow roasting pan or large, rimmed baking sheet.
Toss the red potatoes, fingerling potatoes, garlic, and onions with the olive oil in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of the salt and the remaining ½ teaspoon pepper and toss to coat. Arrange the vegetables around the chicken.
Bake for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Remove the chicken and vegetables from the oven. Transfer one potato at a time to a plate. Using the flat side of a meat pounder, or a potato masher, gently pound or smash the potatoes until they flatten slightly and split open. The potatoes should not completely fall apart. Return the potatoes to the roasting pan, brush with the melted butter, and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt. Turn the chicken breast-side down (silicone hot pads or mitts are helpful).
Continue baking for another 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn the chicken breast-side up. Turn the potatoes. Bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken at the thickest point of the thigh (without touching a bone) registers 175°F, and the potatoes are golden brown and tender.
Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving. Serve surrounded by the potatoes, onions, and garlic.
SERVES 4
One 3 ½- to 4-pound chicken
1 ¼ teaspoons