Lorraine Chicken
This is the kind of chicken you will find on the menu at Brasseries in France. Homey, comforting, but not too rich. Serve with a frisee lettuce or Belgian endive salad and Sauvignon Blanc wine.
Ingredients
1 free-range chicken
1tbsp coarse sea salt
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 lb smoky country bacon cut in 1/2 pieces
4 peeled garlic cloves crushed
24 pearl onions
1/2 lb mushrooms quartered
1 1/2 cup Yukon gold potatoes peeled cut in 1/2-inch dice
1 cup white wine
2 tbsp parsley finely chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions
Rinse and thoroughly dry your chicken pieces. Sprinkle generously with course sea salt and let sit in the fridge (uncovered) for a minimum of 2 hours (up to 24). This stage is not absolutely crucial, however, you will get a much crisper skin and more flavourful chicken if you have time.
Preheat oven to 350° F.
In a sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle the chicken with freshly ground pepper. Brown the chicken on both sides (about 5 minutes per side), remove and place in a baking pan. *Place in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes. Internal temperature of the chicken should be 180° F.
Meanwhile, in a sauté pan, add the bacon and garlic. Cook until the bacon is crisp, remove from pan and set aside. Add the onions to the pan, cook about 10 minutes until golden and add to the bacon. Add the mushrooms to the pan, cook about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and add to the bacon and onion mixture.
*At this point, put your chicken into the oven. Add the potatoes to the pan adding 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter. Cook 20 minutes until golden. Remove, set aside with the bacon. Deglaze the pan with the white wine, reduce to 2 tablespoons. Add the vegetables back to the pan, heat through, spoon over the cooked chicken and garnish with parsley.