French Chicken in a Pot

What you'll need

  • 1 whole chicken, 3-5 pounds
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 small celery rib, chopped
  • 6 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1 whole bay leaf
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

Easy, mostly hands-off roast chicken in the Le Creuset. Moist and flavorful with a sauce instead of a gravy, though a little cornstarch could change that. First made: November 22, 2015

Serves: 2-3

Cooking time: 2 hours

  1. Preheat oven to 275 with rack in lower position.
  2. Pat chicken dry with paper towels, remove any gizzards or packaged bits from the inside and save for something else. Season with salt and pepper. Tuck the wings under.
  3. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium until just smoking. Place chicken in, breast side down. Sprinkle the onion, celery, garlic and herbs. Cook until chicken is lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
  4. Use a wooden spoon to jab inside the cavity with one hand, tongs in the other, to carefully flip the bird. Stir the vegetables a bit. If they're getting too dark, turn down the heat. Cook until the other side of the chicken is brownd, about 5 minutes.
  5. Off heat, place a large sheet of foil over the pot and cover snugly with the lid. Place in the oven and roast for 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 50, depending on bird size, until the breast is 160 and the thigh is 175. Or when the legs are about to fall off. 
  6. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and tent with foil for 20 minutes.
  7. Pour the juices from the pot to a fat separator and let cool for 5 minutes. Pour all but the fat into a small saucepan on low to keep warm. Add lemon juice to taste.
  8. Slice chicken and serve with sauce. A nice side of mashed root vegetables and a green salad is fab, with a crisp Sauvignon blanc.

Submitted by: Liz

Thanks to: The Science of Good Cooking