French chicken in a pot
French chicken in a pot brings together fall flavours of leek, shallot, carrot and garlic with chicken and thyme. Serve it on it's own or with simple buttered new potatoes.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp butter total
- 3 Tbsp olive oil total
- 1 3-4 lb chicken grain fed, air chilled
- 1 large or 2 medium leeks white portion only, cut into 4 inch lengths and quartered
- 4 large shallots
- 2 cloves garlic
- 4 carrots cut into 4 inch pieces
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 375F.
- Melt 2 Tbsp each of olive oil and butter over medium heat in a dutch oven large enough to hold the chicken and vegetables.
- Rub the chicken with olive oil then season with salt and pepper.
- Brown the chicken thoroughly, regulating the heat to prevent burning. This will take 15 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the dutch oven, discard the fat and wipe out the pot.
- Melt the remaining 1 Tbsp each of olive oil and butter.
- Add the aromatics and a good pinch of salt. Salt is critical at this point but you need to be careful not to oversalt at the same time.
- Return the chicken to the pot. Place a piece of aluminum foil over the pot and then cover with the lid.
- Roast for about 1 hour.
- Remove chicken from the pot and place the pot with vegetables and accumulated juices over medium heat to reduce slightly. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
- Carve the chicken into quarters - 2 legs, 2 breasts. Mound a portion of the vegetables in the middle of the plate. Add a few spoonfuls of the sauce and top with chicken.
- Cornichons, dijon mustard and salt are the traditional accompaniments to real poule au pot. They work well here as well.