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Casserole-Roasted Chicken With Vegetables
(Poulet en Cocotte Bonne Femme)
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| What You Need: |
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3½ -to 4-pound roasting chicken
4 tablespoons soft butter
¼ teaspoon finely chopped garlic
½ teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
¼ pound salt pork, diced
2 cups water
5 tablespoons butter
16 peeled white onions, about 1 inch in diameter
6 peeled carrots, cut in 2-inch cylinders or olive shapes
16 one-inch potato balls, or potatoes cut in 2-inch olive shapes
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Bouquet garni made of 4 parsley sprigs and 1 bay leaf, tied together
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| How To Cook: |
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1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Wash the chicken quickly under cold running water and dry it thoroughly inside and out with paper towels. Cream 2 tablespoons of soft butter until it is fluffy, and beat in the garlic and thyme. Spread the seasoned butter inside the chicken. Truss the chicken and rub the outside with the remaining 2 tablespoons of soft butter.
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2. Blanch the salt pork dice by simmering them in 2 cups of water for 5 minutes; drain on paper towels and pat dry. In a heavy, enameled oval casserole just large enough to hold the chicken comfortably, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over moderate heat and in it brown the pork dice, stirring them or shaking the casserole frequently, until they are crisp and golden.
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3. Remove them with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on paper towels. In the rendered fat left in the casserole, brown the chicken on all sides. Remove from heat and pour off all but a thin film of fat from the casserole. Return the chicken and the browned pork dice to it and set aside.
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4. In a heavy 10- to 12-inch skillet, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter over moderate heat and in it cook the onions, carrots, and potatoes, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, or until coated with butter and lightly colored. Remove the vegetables and arrange around the chicken. Season with salt and pepper, add the bouquet garni, and cover the casserole. If the cover isn't snug, drape a piece of foil over the chicken before covering it.
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5. On top of the stove, heat the casserole until the fat begins to splutter. Cook the chicken on the middle shelf of the oven, basting it every 20 minutes with the juices that will accumulate in the casserole. After 1¼ hours, start testing the chicken by lifting it with a wooden spoon inserted in its tail opening. When the juices that run out are yellow, it is done.
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6. To serve, transfer the chicken to a heated platter and arrange the vegetables attractively around it. Discard the bouquet garni and skim as much surface fat as possible from the sauce left in the casserole. Taste the sauce and correct the seasoning. The chicken may be carved in the kitchen or at the table. Serve the sauce separately.
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