SERVES 4
Au jus, or “in its own juice,” is a simple yet sophisticated way of creating a sauce using the natural juices released from a food while cooking. The chicken jus starts with the drippings from bone-in roasted chicken breast (always choose skin-on, bone-in for most flavor). The fat is drained from the pan; the pan is placed on the stovetop and is deglazed with wine, scraping up all the tasty browned bits from the bottom of the pan. The liquid is then reduced, butter is whisked in, and the resulting sauce is poured over the finished dish—slices of tender lemony-thyme chicken set atop creamy polenta and served with a side of sautéed spinach.
4 tablespoons softened butter
2 tablespoons chopped thyme leaves
2 teaspoons lemon zest
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 whole bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts, about 3 pounds total
¼ cup chicken stock
½ tablespoon unsalted butter
2 cups milk
1 cup cream
2 sprigs thyme
1 garlic clove, smashed
1 cup instant polenta
1–2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2–3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, minced
1 pound baby spinach
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chopped chives, for garnish
PREHEAT the oven to 450°F.
IN a small bowl, use a wooden spoon to combine the softened butter, minced thyme, lemon zest, salt, and pepper.
PAT the chicken skin dry, then carefully use your finger to loosen the skin on the breasts. Spread 2 tablespoons of the lemon-thyme butter between the skin and the flesh. Then spread the remaining butter on the surface of the chicken and season generously with salt and pepper.
PLACE the chicken on a rack in a stove-safe roasting pan and roast in the oven 35–40 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165°F. Transfer to a cutting board and allow the chicken to rest 5 minutes.
PLACE the roasting pan on the stove over medium-high heat. Add the stock and wine to deglaze and, with a wooden spoon, scrape up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Boil until reduced by half. Strain the jus through a fine mesh strainer into a small saucepan. Season to taste with salt and pepper and whisk in the butter. Keep warm.
WHILE the chicken is roasting, make the polenta. Combine the milk, cream, thyme, and garlic in a medium saucepot. Heat over medium-high until the mixture just boils. Remove the thyme and garlic, lower the heat to medium, and add the polenta to the milk and cream in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly. Now with a wooden spoon, continue mixing for about 5 minutes or until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat. Stir in the butter and Parmesan, season to taste with salt and pepper, and keep warm.
IN a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the spinach and cook, tossing to coat, until the spinach is wilted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
MOUND the polenta in center of each plate. Cut the chicken breast off the bone and slice. Fan the sliced chicken over the polenta. Drizzle with jus and garnish with chopped chives.