This recipe from Sam Sifton is a perfectly delicious dinner for four: chicken thighs or legs dusted in flour and roasted with shallots, lemons and garlic in a bath of vermouth and under a shower of herbes de Provence. They go crisp in the heat above the fat, while the shallots and garlic melt into a sweet jamminess below.
It is not much work relative to the super pay-off. Numerous reviewers have suggested to double the liquid with more vermouth, stock, white wine… claiming a 1/3 of a cup is not enough, so we doubled the amount to 2/3 cup. Most importantly, do not crowd the chicken pieces. Each piece should have its own space which will aid in the crisping of the skin.
The quantity of garlic and shallots is easily—and happily, I might add—increased for those who favor their flavor. Halfway through, at the basting point, I increased the oven temperature to 425°F, and after 35 more minutes, the skin was nice and crispy.
There is no real sauce to speak of when it is done cooking, so keep that in mind when deciding what to serve it with. We added a pop of color with green beans and happened to have some flavorful risotto which was reheated with homemade chicken stock. Perhaps some roasted potatoes?
Roasted Chicken Provençal
Ingredients
- 4 chicken legs or 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- ½ to ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. herbes de Provence
- 1-2 lemons, quartered
- 8 to 10 cloves garlic, peeled; more to taste
- 4 to 6 large shallots, peeled and halved; more to taste
- 2⁄3 cup dry vermouth
- 4 or more sprigs of thyme, for serving
Directions
- Heat oven to 400 degrees. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Put the flour in a shallow pan, and lightly dredge the chicken in it, shaking the pieces to remove excess flour.
- Swirl the oil in a large roasting pan, and place the floured chicken in it. Season the chicken with the herbes de Provence. Arrange the lemon, garlic cloves and shallots around the chicken, then add the vermouth to the pan.
- Put the pan in the oven, and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, then baste it with the pan juices. *Increase the oven temperature to 425°F. Do not flip the chicken pieces and continue roasting for another 30 to 35 minutes, or until the chicken is very crisp and the meat cooked through.
- Serve in the pan or on a warmed platter, garnished with the thyme.
Adapted from a recipe by Sam Sifton for NYTimes Cooking
Accounting for Taste 