Chicken and Potatoes

[kathrynt]

This is a solid dinner for a cold night. It's not the healthiest thing I've ever cooked, but when you actually break it down, it's not as bad as you might think. This also has the distinction of being 1) something my entire family, children included, will tuck into with gusto and 2) under ten dollars for the whole meal, almost certainly. Depending

Comments

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[browngirl]

*MAKES A NOTE OF THIS*

... why were my caps on?

Anyway. I think I'd make this with all dark meat, but then I like dark meat.

Re: *

[kathrynt]

I do too. But Erik likes white meat. I get chickens at Costco by the two-pack for a dollar a pound, and I used to make this with all the legs and use the breasts in something else, until I realized that Erik would be a lot happier if I used the whole chicken.

The two most important things are to have the chicken at room temp before you start, and to never let the butter burn. The long fricasee in the butter really makes all the difference.

OH! If you do this with just drumsticks and overseason them, you have a DELICIOUS thing to bring to a picnic.

Re: *

[xpioti]

mmmh. Must wipe up the drool now... :D

[ceo]

The potatoes go in the oven right in the skillet, yes?

I had great success with one of Cook's Illustrated's Technique From Mars™ recipes, where you roast a chicken at something like 500°F in a broiler pan with sliced potatoes in the bottom of the pan. The high heat makes for a crisp skin, the potatoes prevent the drippings from filling your kitchen with smoke due to the high heat and come out ridiculously yummy due to said drippings.

[kathrynt]

yep, right in the skillet. I don't have good luck roasting chicken at high heat, it just never seems to come out like I want it. Maybe it's my oven, which objectively sucks.

[xpioti]

Mmmm, I must try your recipe. I don't get to prepare whole chicken very often because DH only eats white meat and I get tired of him snarking on my chicken pot pie (served a couple days after, using the dark meat chicken

[ceo]

That's the one!

[colorwhirl]

Would the same general theory work for other birds as well?

I'm collecting North American-style poultry recipes for my mother-in-law, and this one sounds good as any. (What do I know about the birds?)