SERIES: classics and pan roasted chicken
All of us have recipes that we find and make over and over again. They’re classic staples for our menus. Recipes that we can return to and be just as pleased with as the first time we made it. In this 4-week series, I’ll be sharing mine.
I came across this pan roasted chicken recipe on a flight a number of years ago. I think it was shared through an in-flight food show. It was a series where chefs shared what their “go-to”, at-home recipes are.
I love recipes where you can use a whole chicken. There’s something about cutting up the chicken yourself, getting to partake in all the different cuts in one dish, and having the chicken back, carcass, and wing tips as an added bonus to make stock with later. It satisfies the frugal, use everything, and get an excellent quality stock out of it part of me. In addition to all of this, pan roasted chicken feels fancy, even when it’s actually quite easy. And the red onions and lemon slices combined with the pan juices and then topped with the charred scallion vinaigrette make this dish cravable and super satisfying. I would say it’s on my top 5 recipes that I love to make and love to eat, even more.
Pan Roasted Chicken with Charred Scallion Vinaigrette
This is one of my classic recipes - a dish that I'll make over and over again until I'm gone. It's that good!
Ingredients
Marinade
- 1 red onion, julienned
- 1 lemon, cut in half and sliced thin
- 1 sprig rosemary, pull leaves and roughly chop
- 1 sprig thyme, pull leaves and roughly chop
- 1 TBSP kosher salt
- 1/2 cup olive oil
Chicken
- 1 whole chicken, broken apart into pieces (breast, leg, wing)
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- 3 TBSP butter, cold and cut into pieces
Vinaigrette
- 10 TBSP olive oil
- 2 bunches of scallions, ends cut
- 2" piece of ginger, peeled and minced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 TBSP soy sauce
- 4 TSP toasted sesame oil
- 2 TBSP lemon juice, freshly squeezed
Instructions
Place lemon and red onion slices in a large gallon size Ziploc bag. Add rosemary and thyme, salt, and olive oil to the bag. Close the bag and mix contents until combined. Add the chicken pieces to the bag, seal tightly and mix to combine. Marinate at room temp for 30-45 minutes or in the refrigerator for up to 2 hours. The acidity in the lemon will prevent you from wanting to marinate longer than 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 450F. Heat a large pan (I use one with higher sides to ensure it'll fit all of the contents of the bag) over medium heat. Add 2 TBSP olive oil to the pan and roast the chicken in batches, just until it gets nicely colored on both sides. Add all chicken bag to the pan, along with all the remaining contents of the ziploc. Place the pan in the oven and cook for 30-45 minutes. You'll want to use a thermometer to ensure the chicken is cooked through. The legs take the longest, but you can pull the wings and the breasts out as they finish cooking.
While the chicken is cooking, make the vinaigrette. Place a large cast iron pan over medium heat and char the whole scallions with a little bit of oil until nearly black on both sides. Remove from the heat. In a mixing bowl, combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, lemon juice, ginger, and garlic. Whisk in the remaining olive oil - about 6 TBSP. Chopped the scallions and add to the vinaigrette. Set aside.
Once the chicken is done, you can pull the leg meat from the bone and slice the breast meat. Serve with the red onion, lemon, pan juices and vinaigrette. You can serve alongside your favorite carb of choice. I like to serve with oven roasted creamer style potatoes, but it also goes well with couscous or rice.
Notes
Inspired by: Chef Gavin Kaysen