Slow-Cooked Chicken in a Pot

Serves 4

The French poule au pot, known to Americans by the far-less-poetic “chicken in a pot,” is a one-pot marvel in which chicken pieces and a variety of vegetables are steamed in liquid and flavored by herbs. In my version, you first brown a whole chicken in butter, then stew it in a liquid flavored with vermouth and lots of garlic. While it cooks, the bird becomes very juicy and takes on all the nuances of the other ingredients.

Working with a whole chicken can get messy, so use the widest-mouthed pot available for ease of movement (make sure it has a cover), and have a good, sturdy set of tongs on hand for manipulating the bird.

 

One 3-pound chicken

Coarse salt

Freshly ground black pepper

10 sprigs assorted herbs (such as marjoram and thyme), plus 10 sprigs thyme

2 heads garlic, separated, half the cloves smashed and peeled, the other half left whole and unpeeled

1 bay leaf

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

¹/₃ cup olive oil

1 cup dry vermouth

1 cup store-bought, reduced-sodium chicken broth or homemade Chicken Stock

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

¹/₂ large, or 1 small, Spanish onion, peeled and cut into 6 wedges

6 small new potatoes, quartered

 

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Wash the chicken under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Season the chicken inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff the chicken cavity with the 10 herb sprigs, the smashed garlic, and the bay leaf. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine.

2. Set a heavy-bottomed ovenproof pot over medium-high heat, letting it get nice and hot. Add the butter and oil and cook until the butter melts and turns brown. Add the chicken and brown it all over, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pot and set it aside on a platter.

3. Discard the fat from the pot, add the vermouth and thyme, and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits stuck on the bottom of the pot. Once the vermouth has almost evaporated, add the broth, extra-virgin olive oil, onion, unpeeled garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir and cook for 1 minute. Return the chicken to the pot on top of the vegetables, scatter the quartered potatoes around it, and season them with salt and pepper.

4. Cover the pot and place it in the oven. Cook for 30 minutes, gently shaking the pot to move the vegetables around every 10 minutes or so. Remove the cover and let cook for another 15 to 20 minutes, until a sharp, thin-bladed knife inserted near the thighbone reveals no red within and only the faintest trace of pink, if any. Remove the pot from the oven.

5. To serve, transfer the chicken to a warm platter, snip off the string, and discard the herbs and garlic inside. Arrange the vegetables all around the chicken. Strain the sauce, spoon off any fat from the top, and pass it alongside the chicken and vegetables.