French Chicken in a Pot (poulet en cocotte)
This recipe makes an unbelievably tender and juicy bird! However, if it is crispy skin you are after- look elsewhere... Use a large dutch oven for this recipe.
1 whole roasting chicken
2 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 TBS olive oil
1 small onion, chopped medium
1 celery stalk, chopped medium
6 or so garlic cloves, peeled
1 bay leaf
1 sprig fresh rosemary (optional)
1 tsp lemon juice
Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large dutch oven over medium heat until just smoking. Add chicken breast side down; scatter onion, celery, garlic, bay leaf and rosemary around chicken. Cook until breast is lightly browned, about 5 min.
Using a wooden spoon inserted into the cavity of the bird, flip chicken breast side up and cook until chicken and veg are well browned, 6-8 min. Remove dutch oven from heat; place large sheet of foil over pot and cover tightly with lid. Transfer pot to oven and cook until instant read thermometer reads 160 degrees when inserted in the breast, and 175 when inserted in the thigh (80-110 min approx).
Transfer chicken to carving board, tent with foil and rest for 20 min. Meanwhile, strain chicken juices from pot through a fine-mesh strainer (discarding solids, also skim fat if you wish) into a saucepan and set over low heat. Carve the bird and add any accumulated juices to saucepan. Stir lemon juice into jus to taste. Serve!
