Marcella Hazan’s Pan-Roasted Chicken
Marcella Hazan's pan-roasted chicken is simplicity at its best. A sprig of rosemary, a few cloves of garlic, a bit of wine, and you've got perfection.
Serves4
Marcella Hazan’s simple recipe for pan-roasted chicken is the essence of classic Italian cooking. The ingredient list is short, but the flavors are big. All you need is a sauté pan and you’re on your way to the perfect roasted chicken. This chicken would serve as a wonderful centerpiece for any meal, as it pairs well with just about any side dish you can think of. I’d recommend going with fresh rosemary if you’ve got some on hand because it really boosts the flavor of the dish.
Marcella Hazan’s Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking is Kitchn’s October pick for our Cookbook Club. See how you can participate here.
Marcella Hazan's Pan-Roasted Chicken Recipe
Marcella Hazan's pan-roasted chicken is simplicity at its best. A sprig of rosemary, a few cloves of garlic, a bit of wine, and you've got perfection.
Serves4
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon
butter
- 2 tablespoons
vegetable oil
- 3 1/2 pound
chicken, cut into 4 pieces
- 2 to 3 cloves
garlic, peeled
- 1 sprig
fresh rosemary broken in two OR 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
Salt
Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
- 1/2 cup
dry white wine
Instructions
Put the butter and oil in a sauté pan, turn on the heat to medium high, and when the butter foam begins to subside, put in the chicken quarters, skin side down.
Brown the chicken well on both sides, then add the garlic and rosemary. Cook the garlic until it becomes colored a pale gold, and add salt, pepper, and the wine. Let the wine simmer briskly for about 30 seconds, then adjust heat to cook at a slow simmer, and put a lid on the pan, setting it slightly ajar. Cook until the bird’s thigh feels very tender when prodded with a fork, and the meat comes easily off the bone, calculating between 20 and 25 minutes per pound. If while the chicken is cooking, you find the liquid in the pan has become insufficient, replenish it with 1 or 2 tablespoons water as needed.
When done, transfer the chicken to a warm serving platter, using a slotted spoon or spatula. Remove the garlic from the pan. Tip the pan, spooning off all but a little of the fat. Turn the heat up to high, and boil the water away while loosening cooking residues from the bottom and sides with a wooden spoon. Pour the pan juices over the chicken and serve at once.
Recipe Notes
Excerpted from Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan. Copyright © 1992 by Marcella Hazan. Excerpted by permission of Knopf. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.