Kristen's Recipes

Roast Chicken Au Jus with Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans

1 (3- to 4-pound/1.4- to 1.8-kilogram) chicken, preferably at room temperature

1 lemon

1 T. kosher salt, plus more to taste

2 large russet potatoes (1 1/2 to 2 pounds)

1 pound green beans

1 carrot

1 small onion

1/2 cup whole milk, plus more as needed

6 T. unsalted butter (or more to taste), cut into pieces

1 cup dry white wine

2 C. hot water

Preheat your oven to 45O°F/23O°C (or, if your oven isn’t clean, 425°F/218°C). Rinse your chicken and dry it inside and out (I discard the liver, and reserve the gizzard and heart for the sauce, but feel free to discard all). Zest the lemon, reserving the zest. Put the zested lemon in the carcass of the bird. Truss the bird if you want a gorgeous presentation. The best way to learn to truss a chicken is to watch a video of it. If you do truss, you don’t need to put the lemon in the carcass. Both trussing and inserting a lemon will prevent hot air from circulating inside the cavity, which can overcook the breast. Sprinkle the chicken liberally with salt; you should have a nice crusty layer of it across the whole bird. Put the bird, breast side up, in an oven-safe skillet and into the hot oven for 1 hour. About 30 minutes after putting the chicken in the oven, begin preparing the rest of the meal. Peel the potatoes and cut them into six or eight even pieces. Put them in a saucepan, cover with cold water, and put the pan over high heat. When the water boils, reduce the heat to medium to maintain a good simmer (but not a heavy boil). Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until you can insert a paring knife into the potatoes with little to no resistance.

Meanwhile, put another saucepan of water over high heat, for the beans. Trim the stem ends from the beans. Scrub or peel the carrot, then cut off the ends. Cut the carrot into ribbons using a vegetable peeler (or slice it thinly; the thinner the pieces, the better the flavor of the jus). Peel and thinly slice the onion. When the potatoes are done, drain them in a colander or strainer and set them aside. In the same pan, combine the milk, 4 T./60 grams of the butter (or more to taste), and a four-finger pinch of salt and return it to the stovetop over medium heat. When the butter is nearly melted, add the potato chunks and mash them with a masher until smooth (you can also pass the potatoes through a ricer or food mill into the pot if you want perfectly smooth mashed potatoes). Stir to combine all the ingredients, taste them, and add more salt if they need it (they usually do). Remove from the heat, cover, and set aside. Just before pulling the chicken from the oven, put the beans in the boiling water and cook until tender, 5 to 10 minutes or as you like them. (Not sure if they are done? Do what chefs do: Taste one.)

Remove the chicken from the oven. Pull the chicken out of the pan, leaving behind any skin stuck to the bottom of the pan, and place it on a cutting board with a moat or on a plate (the bird will drop juices as it finishes cooking). Add the heart and gizzard to the pan, if using. Put the pan over high heat and allow the juices to reduce in the fat for a minute or so. Cut the wing tips and wing flats off the bird. Add them to the pan (or eat the flats as a treat while you cook; if you eat them, add the bones to the skillet if you wish). Add the carrot and onion to the pan. Stir them to coat them with the chicken fat and cook till they’re tender, another minute or two. To make the jus, add the wine to the pan and bring it to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the pan with a flat-edged spoon. Stir until all the wine has cooked off and the fat has begun to crackle again. Add 1 cup/240 milliliters of the hot water. Cook this off as you did the wine, until virtually all the liquid is gone, then add the remaining 1 cup/240 milliliters hot water, bring it to a boil, and turn off the heat. When the beans are done (and this may happen while your jus is reducing), drain them and return them to the pot, then add the remaining 2 T./30 grams butter (or more to taste). Salt them and add the reserved lemon zest. Reheat the potatoes if necessary, by returning them to medium heat and adding a few T. or so of milk until they are the consistency you like. Cut the chicken into six pieces, taking each breast off along with the wing drumette, and each leg, then cutting them into drumstick and thigh pieces. Serve the chicken with the potatoes and beans. Strain the sauce into a bowl for the table or simply spoon the sauce straight from the pan, without the vegetables, over the chicken.

Variations: Green Beans> Brussels, Roasted Broccoli; Mashed Potato> Baked Potatoes, Twice Baked, Potato Skins; Au Jus > Gravy, Tarragon Sauce; Salsa Verde,

Leftovers: Chicken Salad, Chicken Pot Pie, Overnight Stock, Chicken Noodle Soup, Tortellini en Brodo

Herb-Butter Roasted Chicken & Creamy Mashed Carrots

6 chicken leg quarters

3 T. butter, softened

1½ T. Old Bay seasoning, divided

2 (12-oz) pkg broccoli-cauliflower medley

2 T. olive oil

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Arrange chicken on a large rimmed baking sheet. Combine butter and 1 T. seasoning; rub over chicken. Bake 20 minutes. Meanwhile, toss together broccoli medley, oil, and ½ T. seasoning over a second large baking sheet. Increase oven temperature 450ºF.  Bake chicken and broccoli 15 minutes or until chicken is browned and vegetables are tender.

Creamy Mashed Carrots

2 lb baby carrots

2 T. butter

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

¾ cup milk

Bring carrots and water to cover to a boil in a large saucepan; cook 15 minutes or until tender. Drain and return pot to medium heat; add butter, salt, and pepper. Mash with a potato masher until creamy and thoroughly heated. Add milk, 1 T. at a time, until desired consistency.

Pan-Roasted Chicken with Vegetables and Herbs

¼ cup all-purpose flour

⅛ tsp. paprika

3 lb bone-in chicken breast halves (about 4 breast halves)

2 T. olive oil

2 small red onions, cut in quarters

1 lb new white potatoes, cut in quarters

8 oz fresh baby carrots (about 16), green tops trimmed to 1-inch-long

1½ cups chicken stock

3 T. lemon juice

1 T. chopped fresh oregano leaves

1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves

Heat the oven to 375°F. Season the chicken as desired. Stir the flour and paprika on a plate. Coat the chicken with the flour mixture. Heat the oil in a 12-inch oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 10 minutes or until well browned on all sides. Remove the chicken from the skillet. Pour off any fat. Add the onions and potatoes to the skillet and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the carrots, stock, lemon juice and oregano and heat to a boil. Return the chicken to the skillet. Cover the skillet. Roast for 25 minutes. Uncover the skillet. Roast, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Season to taste. Sprinkle with thyme, if desired.

Hawaiian Chicken

6 (6-oz) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

2 T. olive oil

1 (20-oz) can pineapple chunks in juice

½ cup packed brown sugar

3 T. low-sodium soy sauce

½ tsp. ground ginger

Pound chicken to an even thickness with the heel of your hand or a meat mallet. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Cook chicken, in batches if necessary, in hot oil 5 to 6 minutes per side or until done. Meanwhile, cook pineapple with juice, brown sugar, soy sauce, and ginger in another skillet; cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken to skillet; cook 2 to 3 minutes or until sauce is thickened.

Lemon-Ginger Fried Chicken

1 tsp. grated lemon rind

1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 4 lemons)

2 tsp. minced peeled fresh ginger

1 ½ tsp. minced garlic

2 bone-in chicken breast halves, skinned

2 bone-in chicken thighs, skinned

2 chicken drumsticks, skinned

4 ½ ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)

2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. paprika

½ tsp. ground red pepper

1 tsp. kosher salt

½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup peanut oil

¼ cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

2 T. brown sugar

1 lemon, thinly sliced

Place rind, juice, and next 5 ingredients (through drumsticks) in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal and shake to coat. Marinate in refrigerator 1 hour, turning bag occasionally. Sift together flour and next 3 ingredients (through red pepper). Place flour mixture in a large zip-top plastic bag. Remove chicken from marinade bag, reserving marinade. Sprinkle salt and black pepper evenly over chicken. Add chicken, one piece at a time, to flour mixture; seal bag and shake to coat chicken. Remove chicken from bag, shaking off excess flour mixture. Reserve remaining flour mixture. Place chicken on a wire rack; place rack in a jelly-roll pan. Cover and refrigerate 1 1/2 hours. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°. Return chicken, one piece at a time, to flour mixture; seal bag and shake to coat chicken. Remove chicken from bag, shaking off excess flour mixture. Discard remaining flour mixture. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes or until golden, turning once. Arrange chicken in single layer in a shallow roasting pan. Combine broth and reserved marinade in a small bowl; carefully pour broth mixture into pan. Sprinkle chicken evenly with sugar, and top with lemon slices. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until golden and a thermometer registers 165°.