Cast Iron Chicken With Caramelized Shallots And Sherry Pan Sauce Food

CAST IRON SKILLET CHICKEN WITH COGNAC SAUCE RECIPE

Steps:

• Sauté the shallots, garlic and thyme. Add the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter to an extra large skillet - ideally cast iron. Place it over medium heat and add the shallots and garlic. Sauté until the shallots are soft and beginning to brown. Add the thyme, stir, and let it become aromatic -- about 30 seconds.
• Brown the chicken. Season both sides of the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Turn the heat to high and add it to the skillet. Brown both sides of the chicken and then turn the heat to low-medium. (You're not cooking the chicken through here, just browning the surface.)
• Make the sauce and add it to the skillet with lemon slices. In a small dish, mix the chicken stock, cognac and lemon juice together and then evenly pour it over the chicken. Add the lemon slices around, on top and below the chicken.
• Braise. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low and braise just until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. (Cooking times will vary slightly, and larger pieces, like the breasts, will take more time than smaller pieces.)
• Finish the sauce and serve. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and let it melt into the sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve! (Here's How to Season to Taste.)

CHICKEN WITH SHALLOTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels and sprinkle them generously on both sides with salt and pepper. In a 12-inch cast-iron skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat for 2 minutes, until it begins to smoke. Place the chicken breasts, skin side down, in the skillet and cook for 4 to 5 minutes without moving, until golden brown.
• Using tongs, turn the chicken breasts skin side up, place the skillet in the oven, and roast for 12 to 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
• Meanwhile, in a medium saute pan, combine the white wine, lemon juice, and shallots and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, until only 2 tablespoons of liquid remain in the pan. If it reduces too much, add an extra splash of white wine or water. Add the cream, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and bring to a full boil. Remove from the heat, add the diced butter, and swirl the pan until the butter is incorporated. Don't reheat or the sauce will "break"! Sprinkle with salt and serve the chicken hot with the sauce spooned over it.

SKILLET ROAST CHICKEN WITH CARAMELIZED SHALLOTS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Pat the chicken dry and season it on all sides with salt and pepper.
• In a large (12-inch) oven-proof skillet, working in batches as needed to avoid crowding, add the oil, then add the chicken pieces, skin-side down. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook, undisturbed, until the skin is crisp and releases easily from the skillet, and the fat is rendered, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate and repeat with additional chicken pieces as needed.
• Add the shallots to the skillet, season with salt and pepper and arrange so most are cut-side down. Cook, undisturbed, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip the shallots and repeat until browned on the other side, another 5 minutes.
• Add the vinegar and scrape the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits. Add the chicken, skin-side up, on top of the shallots. Roast until the shallots have collapsed and the chicken is cooked through, about 45 minutes. Check the chicken halfway through. If the skillet looks dry, add a few tablespoons of water. Serve the chicken and shallots with the pan juices.

CAST-IRON SKILLET CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500 F, or as high as it will go. Preheat cast-iron skillet over high heat. (Note: Chef Gillespie uses an 8-inch skillet to cook 2 servings; use two 8-inch skillets or one 14-inch skillet to cook 4 servings.) Butcher the chicken: First, make a cut along one side of the backbone, as close to the bone as possible. Carefully cut down until the breast and tenderloin can be pulled away from the carcass in one piece; pop the thigh bone out of the joint, and continue cutting from thigh to wing joint to detach the entire half from the carcass. Repeat procedure with the other side of the chicken. (Reserve the carcass for stock.)
• Extend the wing and cut through joint between the flat and the drumette. (Reserve the wing for stock.) Make a cut to separate the breast from the thigh, so you have a leg-and-thigh piece and a breast-and-drumette piece. When the skillet is smoking hot, add the grapeseed oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Pat the chicken pieces completely dry with paper towels; then generously season on all sides with salt.
• Very gently lay the leg-thigh in the skillet, skin side down, and cook until the skin is nicely browned, about 2 minutes. No need to peek or move the chicken-just let it cook undisturbed. When the skin is browned, it will release easily from the pan; flip it over so it's skin side up. Add the breast to the skillet, skin side down. Place skillet in the oven and cook, 15 minutes.
• After 15 minutes, remove skillet from the oven and check to see if chicken is done: the juices bubbling at the bone should be clear, and the meat should be retracting at the thigh bone. Serve.

ROASTED CHICKEN WITH THYME & SHERRY VINEGAR SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. For the chicken. Preheat oven to 450 degrees and place a cast iron skillet in the oven big enough to fit the bird. Clean and dry the chicken. Place the half onion and 4 cloves garlic into the cavity. Truss the legs with butchers twine. Rub the duck fat or olive oil all over the outside of the chicken. Place the two pats of butter under the skin of the chicken breasts. Season with salt, pepper and paprika.
• 2. Place the chicken breast side up in the cast iron pan in oven. Tent with foil. Roast for 45 minutes. Turn the oven off and leave the chicken in the oven for another 45 minutes. Until thighs register 175 degrees.
• 3. Remove the chicken from the pan to carving board and let rest while making pan sauce
• 4. For the pan sauce. Pour the drippings into a fat separator and add back to pan about 2 tbsp. drippings. Add the shallots and garlic and cook over medium high heat until softened. Add the thyme and cook 30 seconds. Add the chicken broth and mustard. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer and simmer until reduced to about 1 cup. Add the butter one pat at a time and whisk until melted. Stir in the vinegar. Remove from heat and taste to adjust for salt and pepper.
• 5. Carve the chicken and serve with pan sauce