THESE ONE-POT CHICKEN DISHES MAKE A SATISFYING MEAL
The recipes are easy to make and taste delicious.
Decades ago, as I cooked my way through Julia Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking — Volume One,” I was charmed by the pages devoted to fricassees. These delicious stew-like concoctions are one-pot chicken dishes slowcooked in liquid after they are browned in butter, or in some cases a combination of butter and oil. Broth played an important role and cream was often included in the ingredient list. But not always; the chapter’s Coq au Vin boasted a red Burgundy.
“It is an ideal technique for ahead-of-time dishes, as the chicken loses none of its essential qualities if is it allowed to cool in its sauce and is reheated,” Julia wrote.
Indeed, they are ideal. I was reminded of their irresistibility recently when cooking from Ina Garten’s newest book, “GoTo Dinners.” I had six guests coming for lunch on a rainy day and needed to have a onedish meal, a comforting dish that could be spooned into individual bowls. A heated baguette would be passed, wine poured into glasses. Done.
Garten’s Chicken in a Pot with Orzo was perfect. Everyone loved it including a picky grandchild. A whole chicken bubbled in a mix of veggies, garlic and chicken broth augmented with a bundle of thyme, parsley and dill. A smidgen of saffron lent delight to the mix.
I prepared the dish in advance, then brought it to a nononsense simmer and stirred in the orzo and let it sit, covered, 25 minutes before serving. Meanwhile I pulled the chicken off the bones. After testing the orzo, I returned the boned chicken to the mixture and then ladled it into bowls. Some fresh chopped dill crowned each serving along with a little sprinkle of kosher salt.
The recipe follows along with two other one-pot chicken dishes. Not Julia’s fricassees, but delectable nonetheless. Enjoy.
← Chicken and Rice
This one-pot chicken casserole dish showcases rice teamed with white wine, tomatoes and parsley. You can use white or dark meat, or both. This rice-cooking technique calls for stirring the rice once during cooking. Generally, this is a no-no, but it is needed here to make sure that the top layer is moist and fully cooked.
INGREDIENTS
3pounds bone-in chicken pieces (breasts, drumsticks and/or thighs); see cook’s notes
2 teaspoons salt, divided use
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3garlic cloves, minced
1 1⁄2 cups long-grain white rice
2 cups chicken broth or water
1(14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained with 1⁄2 cup juice reserved 1⁄2 cup dry white wine or dry vermouth
1⁄3 cup chopped fresh parsley
Cook’s notes: If you prefer, substitute 2pounds of boneless chicken thighs for the pieces of bone-in chicken.
PROCEDURE
1. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and sprinkle with 1teaspoon salt and pepper. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Place chicken skin side down in pot and cook until well browned, 6 to 8 minutes, reducing heat if pot begins to scorch. Flip chicken skin side up and continue to cook until lightly browned on second side, about 3minutes; transfer to plate.
2. Pour off all but about 2tablespoons fat from pot, add onion and cook over medium heat, stirring often until softened, about 5minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add rice and cook, stirring frequently, until coated and glistening, about 1minute. Stir in broth or water, tomatoes with reserved juice, wine, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt, scraping up any browned bits. Nestle chicken thighs and drumsticks into pot and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer gently for 15minutes. Nestle chicken breasts into pot and stir ingredients gently until rice is thoroughly mixed; cover and simmer until both rice and chicken are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in parsley. Let dish sit covered for 5 minutes off the heat.
Source: “The Complete Modern Pantry” from America’s Test Kitchen (America’s Test Kitchen, $34.99)