Pan-Roasted Chicken with Cognac-Mustard Sauce
By America's Test KitchenPublished on October 12, 2011
Time
1 hour, plus 30 minutes brining
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Chicken
1 ½ cups kosher salt or ¾ cup table salt1 whole chicken (3 ½ to 4 pounds), cut into 8 pieces (follow illustrations below, then cut each breast piece in half), discard wings, and trim excess fatGround black pepper 1 teaspoon vegetable oilCognac-Mustard Sauce
1 large shallot, minced (about 4 tablespoons)¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth ¼ cup Cognac or brandy¼ cup white wine 2 sprigs fresh thyme 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 2 piecesSalt and ground black pepperBefore You Begin
Brining the chicken is optional but highly recommended. If you opt not to brine, use a kosher chicken if one is available (kosher chickens are salted during processing and have the moistness and flavor of brined chickens). This recipe requires a 12-inch ovenproof skillet. The handle will be blisteringly hot after being in the oven, so be sure to use a potholder or oven mitt to remove the skillet from the oven and when handling the skillet as you make the sauce.
Instructions
- Dissolve salt in 2 1/2 quarts cold tap water in large container or bowl; submerge chicken pieces in brine and refrigerate until fully seasoned, about 30 minutes. Rinse chicken pieces under running water and pat dry with paper towels. Season chicken with pepper.
- Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 450 degrees.
- Heat oil in heavy-bottomed 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat until beginning to smoke, about 3 minutes; swirl skillet to coat evenly with oil. Brown chicken pieces skin-side down until deep golden, about 5 minutes; turn chicken pieces, and brown until golden on second side, about 4 minutes longer. Turn chicken skin-side down and place skillet in oven. Roast until juices run clear when chicken is cut with paring knife, or thickest part of breast registers about 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer and thickest part of thighs and drumsticks registers about 175 degrees, about 10 minutes longer. Using potholder or oven mitt to protect hands from hot skillet handle, remove pan from oven. Transfer chicken skin-side up to platter, and let rest while making sauce. (If not making sauce, let chicken rest 5 minutes before serving.)
- Still using potholder or oven mitt, pour off most of fat from skillet, add shallot, then set skillet over medium-high heat; cook, stirring frequently, until shallot softens, about 1 ½ minutes. Add chicken broth, Cognac, white wine, and thyme; increase heat to high and simmer rapidly, scraping skillet bottom with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Simmer until slightly thickened and reduced to about 2/3 cup, about 6 minutes. Pour accumulated chicken juices into skillet, discard thyme, add mustard, and whisk in butter one piece at a time. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Return chicken pieces skin-side up to skillet; simmer to heat through, about 1 minute. Serve immediately.
Time
1 hour, plus 30 minutes briningYield
Serves 4Ingredients
Chicken
Cognac-Mustard Sauce
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Chicken
Cognac-Mustard Sauce
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Chicken
Cognac-Mustard Sauce
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Could we use a restaurant technique to develop a roasted chicken recipe with just 20 minutes of cooking time? Taking up the challenge, we cut a whole chicken into pieces, then soaked them in a saltwater solution. Before roasting the chicken pieces, we browned them on both sides in just a teaspoon of oil on the stovetop, then slid the pan into a 450-degree oven to complete the cooking. Our pan-roasted chicken recipe produced juicy, tender meat, and crisp, flavorful skin in record time.
Before You Begin
Brining the chicken is optional but highly recommended. If you opt not to brine, use a kosher chicken if one is available (kosher chickens are salted during processing and have the moistness and flavor of brined chickens). This recipe requires a 12-inch ovenproof skillet. The handle will be blisteringly hot after being in the oven, so be sure to use a potholder or oven mitt to remove the skillet from the oven and when handling the skillet as you make the sauce.
Instructions
- Dissolve salt in 2 1/2 quarts cold tap water in large container or bowl; submerge chicken pieces in brine and refrigerate until fully seasoned, about 30 minutes. Rinse chicken pieces under running water and pat dry with paper towels. Season chicken with pepper.
- Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 450 degrees.
- Heat oil in heavy-bottomed 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat until beginning to smoke, about 3 minutes; swirl skillet to coat evenly with oil. Brown chicken pieces skin-side down until deep golden, about 5 minutes; turn chicken pieces, and brown until golden on second side, about 4 minutes longer. Turn chicken skin-side down and place skillet in oven. Roast until juices run clear when chicken is cut with paring knife, or thickest part of breast registers about 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer and thickest part of thighs and drumsticks registers about 175 degrees, about 10 minutes longer. Using potholder or oven mitt to protect hands from hot skillet handle, remove pan from oven. Transfer chicken skin-side up to platter, and let rest while making sauce. (If not making sauce, let chicken rest 5 minutes before serving.)
- Still using potholder or oven mitt, pour off most of fat from skillet, add shallot, then set skillet over medium-high heat; cook, stirring frequently, until shallot softens, about 1 ½ minutes. Add chicken broth, Cognac, white wine, and thyme; increase heat to high and simmer rapidly, scraping skillet bottom with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Simmer until slightly thickened and reduced to about 2/3 cup, about 6 minutes. Pour accumulated chicken juices into skillet, discard thyme, add mustard, and whisk in butter one piece at a time. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Return chicken pieces skin-side up to skillet; simmer to heat through, about 1 minute. Serve immediately.
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