My Simple Recipe for Roasted Farmhouse Chicken
Something about a succulent roasted farmhouse chicken pleases my whole family. Cooking chicken in a cocotte is a traditional French method. The French word cocotte denotes a covered casserole usually made from clay, but a Dutch oven works well for this recipe. Here is the original Simple French Cooking recipe and notes on French butter.
In Southern France, it’s quite popular to include numerous garlic cloves, which turn creamy and mild after prolonged, slow cooking. Serve the chicken directly from its cooking pot at the table. When you break open the pastry seal in front of your guests, the enticing aromas of garlic and thyme are released, creating an unforgettable sensory experience for everyone. One popular recipe variation, Cocotte Grand-Mère, removes the garlic cloves and replaces them with 1/2 pound of peeled pearl onions and 1/2 pound of small button mushrooms.
This dish is so spectacularly simple that I hope everyone tries it. You can choose to skip wrapping the cocotte in puff pastry. Although this might not lock in the juices as effectively and result in a less striking presentation, the dish will still turn out well. Serve with a green salad.
Farmhouse Chicken with 39 Cloves of Garlic and Potato Purée
This dish is so spectacularly simple that I hope everyone tries it. You can choose to skip wrapping the cocotte in puff pastry. Although this might not lock in the juices as effectively and result in a less striking presentation, the dish will still turn out well. Serve with a green salad.
Equipment
- potato ricer or food mill or potato masher
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 medium chicken farmhouse, about 4 lbs
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 lemon
- salt and pepper to taste
- piment d’Espelette to taste
- 1 cup white wine
- 4 slices smoked bacon (optional)
- 4 heads garlic 39 unpeeled cloves
- 4 oz puff pastry or bread dough or even flour and water mixed together
- 1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tbsp cold water
For the Potato Purée:
- 2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and cut into large pieces
- 1 cup milk, whole
- 4-8 oz unsalted butter
- salt and pepper to taste
- pinch nutmeg
Instructions
For the Chicken:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Put butter in an oval Dutch oven (cocotte) slightly larger than your chicken. Season the chicken generously inside and out with salt, pepper, and Espelette. Stuff the cavity with thyme, bay leaf, and lemon.
- Lay the chicken in the cocotte with the wine. Arrange the garlic around the chicken, drape the bacon over the breasts, and cover with the lid.
- Roll out the pastry dough to a size that can wrap around the entire rim of the cocotte and about 2 inches wide. Brush the edge of your cocotte with the egg wash. Lay the dough over the rim, pressing it down to create a tight seal. This pastry lid is crucial as it locks in all the steam, ensuring the chicken cooks evenly and remains moist. Brush the pastry with egg and bake the chicken for 2 hours.
- Check the cocotte after one (1) hour. If the pastry is getting too brown, wrap it in foil and continue baking.
For the Potato Purée:
- Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover them with cold water. Add a generous pinch of salt. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer. Cook the potatoes until tender, usually 15-20 minutes. Drain the potatoes well. Removing as much water as possible is essential to avoid a watery purée.
- While the potatoes are cooking, gently heat the milk in a small saucepan or the microwave until warm but not boiling.
- Pass the cooked potatoes through a potato ricer or food mill back into the pot for the smoothest texture. If you don't have these, a regular potato masher will work, but the purée might not be as fine.
- Over low heat, gradually add the butter to the potatoes, stirring continuously. The potatoes will start to become creamy and smooth. Slowly mix in the warm milk until the purée reaches your desired consistency. It should be silky and smooth—season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste.
- The most dramatic part of this dish is the presentation. Bring the cocotte directly to the table. Make sure your guests are present as you break the pastry seal. This releases the fragrant aromas of garlic and thyme, creating an unforgettable sensory experience.
- While cutting the chicken into serving pieces, reduce the cooking juices by 50%. Serve the chicken drenched in the sauce with the garlic still in its jacket. Pass a green salad and potato puree separately.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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