America's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated LogoAmerica's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated Logo

One-Pot Chicken Jardinière

By Alli Berkey

Published on June 17, 2019

Time

1¾ hours

Yield

Serves 4 to 6

One-Pot Chicken Jardinière

Ingredients

3 pounds bone-in chicken pieces (split breasts cut in half, drumsticks, and/or thighs), trimmed¾ teaspoon table salt, divided¾ teaspoon pepper, divided1 teaspoon vegetable oil 4 ounces pancetta, cut into ½-inch pieces1 onion, chopped fine3 garlic cloves, minced2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 cups chicken broth ¾ cup dry white wine 12 ounces small Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled8 ounces small white mushrooms, trimmed and halved4 carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks½ cup frozen peas 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon or parsleyLemon wedges

Before You Begin

Buy a 4-ounce hunk of pancetta from the deli counter. Try to buy potatoes with a 1-inch diameter. If you can find only slightly larger potatoes, up to 2 inches in diameter, cut them in half. Do not substitute russet potatoes for Yukon Gold potatoes. Note that the dark and white meat are added to the pot at different times in step 3.

Instructions

  1. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add chicken, skin side down, and cook until well browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plate.
  2. Reduce heat to medium. Add pancetta, onion, garlic, thyme, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt to now-empty pot and cook until onion just begins to soften, about 4 minutes. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in broth and wine. Stir in potatoes, mushrooms, carrots, chicken drumsticks and thighs, and remaining ½ teaspoon pepper and bring to simmer. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes.
  3. Uncover and stir. Add chicken breasts and any accumulated juices to pot; return to simmer. Cover and continue to cook until breasts register 160 degrees and drumsticks/thighs register at least 175 degrees, about 20 minutes longer. Off heat, stir in peas and let sit uncovered for 5 minutes. Stir in tarragon and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with lemon wedges.

One-Pot Chicken Jardinière

Save

Time

1¾ hours

Yield

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

3 pounds bone-in chicken pieces (split breasts cut in half, drumsticks, and/or thighs), trimmed
¾ teaspoon table salt, divided
¾ teaspoon pepper, divided
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
4 ounces pancetta, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 onion, chopped fine
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
¾ cup dry white wine
12 ounces small Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled
8 ounces small white mushrooms, trimmed and halved
4 carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks
½ cup frozen peas
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon or parsley
Lemon wedges

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

3 pounds bone-in chicken pieces (split breasts cut in half, drumsticks, and/or thighs), trimmed
¾ teaspoon table salt, divided
¾ teaspoon pepper, divided
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
4 ounces pancetta, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 onion, chopped fine
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
¾ cup dry white wine
12 ounces small Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled
8 ounces small white mushrooms, trimmed and halved
4 carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks
½ cup frozen peas
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon or parsley
Lemon wedges

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

3 pounds bone-in chicken pieces (split breasts cut in half, drumsticks, and/or thighs), trimmed
¾ teaspoon table salt, divided
¾ teaspoon pepper, divided
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
4 ounces pancetta, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 onion, chopped fine
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
¾ cup dry white wine
12 ounces small Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled
8 ounces small white mushrooms, trimmed and halved
4 carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks
½ cup frozen peas
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon or parsley
Lemon wedges

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

We wanted to retain all the elegance and refinement of this classic light braise of chicken and vegetables while dispensing with traditional time-consuming steps such as breaking down a whole chicken and making stock. So we started by browning bone-in chicken pieces, which helped build a rich base for the sauce; peppery pancetta, onion, and aromatics came next. We added a bit of white wine to brighten the rich pork flavor and then lightly thickened the base with a bit of flour. Stirring the best of the garden—mushrooms, carrots, and small Yukon Gold potatoes—right into the sauce and simmering the vegetables along with the chicken kept their essential flavor and cooked them to perfect tenderness. Starting the simmer with just the dark meat and reserving the white meat for later ensured that all the pieces cooked to their ideal doneness without turning dry and chewy.

Before You Begin

Buy a 4-ounce hunk of pancetta from the deli counter. Try to buy potatoes with a 1-inch diameter. If you can find only slightly larger potatoes, up to 2 inches in diameter, cut them in half. Do not substitute russet potatoes for Yukon Gold potatoes. Note that the dark and white meat are added to the pot at different times in step 3.

Instructions

  1. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add chicken, skin side down, and cook until well browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plate.
  2. Reduce heat to medium. Add pancetta, onion, garlic, thyme, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt to now-empty pot and cook until onion just begins to soften, about 4 minutes. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in broth and wine. Stir in potatoes, mushrooms, carrots, chicken drumsticks and thighs, and remaining ½ teaspoon pepper and bring to simmer. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes.
  3. Uncover and stir. Add chicken breasts and any accumulated juices to pot; return to simmer. Cover and continue to cook until breasts register 160 degrees and drumsticks/thighs register at least 175 degrees, about 20 minutes longer. Off heat, stir in peas and let sit uncovered for 5 minutes. Stir in tarragon and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with lemon wedges.

Gift This Recipe

Enjoyed this dish? Let others know by sharing it as a gift recipe.

This is a members' feature.