Stovetop Roasted Chicken

Here is another one of Eric's favorites from Cook's Illustrated. An alternative to oven-roasted chicken, stovetop roasted chicken lets you cook chicken parts, rather than the whole bird. The Cook's Illustrated technique gets the skin crispy while allowing the meat to remain juicy and reduces the cooking time dramatically. Paired with a lemon herb sauce, this meal is simply delicious.

Check out the November/December 2008 issue for the science behind the two phase cooking method.

Stovetop Roasted Chicken

For the chicken:

3 1/2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken parts, trimmed of excess fat

salt and pepper

1 TBS vegetable oil

1-1 1/4 cups low sodium chicken broth

For the lemon-herb sauce:

1 tsp vegetable oil

1 medium shallot, minced (about 3 TBS)

1 tsp all-purpose flour

1 TBS fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 TBS fresh parsley, minced

1 1/2 TBS fresh chives, minced

1 TBS cold unsalted butter

salt and pepper

1. Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tsp vegetable oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken pieces skin side down and cook without moving until golden brown, 5-8 mins.

2. Using tongs, flip chicken pieces skin side up. Reduce heat to medium-low, add 3/4 cup broth to skillet, cover, and cook until instant read thermometer registers 155 degrees for chicken breast and 170 degrees for legs and thighs, 10-16 minutes. Transfer chicken to plate, skin-side up.

3. Pour off liquid from skillet into 2-cup measuring cup and reserve. Using tongs, wipe skillet with paper towels. Add remaining tsp vegetable oil to skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Return chicken pieces skin side down and cook without moving until skin is deep golden brown and crisp and it reaches 160 degrees for breasts and 175 degrees for legs and thighs, 4-7 mins. Transfer to a serving platter and tent loosely with foil. Skim fat from reserved cooking liquid and add enough broth to measure 3/4 cup.

4. Heat oil in now empty skillet over low heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 1 minute. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly for 30 secs. Increase heat to medium-high, add reserved cooking liquid, and bring to a simmer, scraping skillet bottom with a wooden spoon to loosened brown bits. Simmer rapidly until reduced to 1/2 cup, 2-3 mins. Stir in any accumulated juices from resting chicken, return to a simmer and cook 30 seconds. Remove skillet from heat, whisk in lemon juice, parsley, chives, and butter, season with salt and pepper. Pour sauce around chicken and serve.

Enjoy!