My great grandmother was the queen of cooking her meats low and slow. Her baked chicken was moist and tender but the appearance and flavor could be improved upon. A heavy sprinkling of salt and pepper and maybe garlic were her seasonings. My modernized take includes using fresh aromatics and a roasting-braising technique. First using kitchen shears, I cut along the backbone of the chicken and remove. Then with the chicken breast facing up, I push down on the chicken until it is flat. This technique is called spatchcock. The chicken will cook faster and the skin browns and crisps. Perfection! I believe my great grandmother would definitely approve of my changes. She would insist though if the chicken was to be served at a dinner party that I present it on a silver tray.
Roasted-Braised Chicken
Print RecipeIngredients
- 1 (5-pound) whole chicken
- 2 celery ribs, roughly chopped
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 1 (1-pound) bag baby carrots
- 7 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 10 sprigs fresh thyme
- 10 fresh sage leaves
- 1 tablespoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 1 tablespoon butter, softened
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
Instructions
Heat oven to 425 degrees.
Remove chicken giblets and reserve for another use. Use poultry shears to cut backbone out of chicken. Reserve backbone and use with giblets to make gravy for another use.
Turn chicken skin-side-up and press down on breast bone to flatten. Pat outside skin dry with paper towels.
In a 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish or shallow casserole dish, place celery, onion, carrots, garlic, rosemary, thyme, and sage. Place chicken on top of the vegetables. Combine the salt and pepper in a small bowl. Gently slide your fingers between meat and skin of chicken. Separate as much skin from meat as you can. Season with half of salt and pepper mixture by grabbing pinches of seasoning, pushing it beneath skin, and rubbing onto meat. Rub butter over skin. Sprinkle remaining seasoning over skin. Pour white wine and chicken stock into dish.
Place dish on top rack of oven and bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast reaches 165 degrees.
Transfer chicken to a cutting board and let stand for 10 minutes. Into a medium saucepan, strain juices through a mesh strainer. Skim off top layer of fat and discard. Season to taste with salt. Cook over medium-high heat until slightly reduced. Slice chicken breasts.
Serve chicken slices and pieces with pan sauce
Notes
Recipe adapted from New Southern Table cookbook.
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