Poulet au Pot
A comforting and impressive winter dish that allows you to enjoy your company. Serve out of the pot on your table with tongs and a ladle so everyone can uncover its contents like a treasure chest.
I threw this together for our friends on one of those days between Christmas and New Year’s when time doesn’t exist. Andi and I used to host dinner at least once a week. As new parents, we’re just getting back into it as we find an evening rhythm with Claire. I’ve learned that while hosting, especially now - it’s essential to plan a menu that allows you to enjoy the company of your friends.
With this dinner, I prepped nearly all the elements the day prior and began cooking an hour or so before we expected our friends. When they arrived, the nostalgic aroma of roast chicken had already filled our apartment, and we could pop open a bottle of wine and catch up while the chicken finished roasting.
I served the chicken in a pot on the dining table, with tongs and a ladle so everyone could enjoy its contents like a treasure chest. First, the tongs are used to break off a piece of the bread wreath and retrieve fall-off-the-bone tender meat from the carcass. Then, ladle the flavorful vegetables and comforting broth. I set out a ramekin of chopped parsley for freshness, my best extra-virgin olive oil, and a pepper mill for garnishing. It was so delicious I made an exception for non-crispy skinned chicken. It’s now on our menu rotation for winter hosting, and I’ve also been making many Sunday nights without the bread to pack for lunch on our hectic Mondays.
Flatbread dough
Ingredients
2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 big pinch sugar
1 cup full-fat Greek yogurt
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over 1/2 cup (120ml ) of warm water (between 95°F [25°C] and 115°F [45°C]). Add a pinch of sugar and let the mixture stand until creamy, about 5 minutes.
Whisk the yogurt and olive oil with four tablespoons of water in a separate bowl.
Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the yeast and yogurt mixtures and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until combined.
Increase the speed to medium and beat until the dough is smooth and elastic about 6 minutes.
Lightly grease a bowl with olive oil. Transfer the dough to the bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Set aside in a warm place until it has doubled in size, at least 2 hours, or overnight in the fridge.
Poulet au Pot
Ingredients
1 pasture-raised chicken
1 lemon, juiced
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
Bouquet garni of rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups sliced leeks, white and green parts only
8-10 cloves garlic, minced
4-6 carrots, cut into chunks on a bias, large pieces sliced lengthwise
4-6 stalks celery, cut into chunks on a bias
4-6 parsnips, cut into chunks on a bias, large pieces sliced lengthwise
6-8 fingerling potatoes, cut into chunks on a bias
1/2 bottle of dry white wine
2 bay leaves
2-3 parm rinds (optional)
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, picked
10 cups chicken bone broth
1 lemon, zested and juiced
Fleur de sel, to taste
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
2/3rds flatbread dough, above
Parsley, stems and leaves, chopped
Recipe
The night before, French the legs of the pasture-raised chicken (optional) without removing any of the fat. Season the chicken with lemon juice, kosher salt, and apple cider vinegar in a large plastic bag. Before cooking, pat the chicken dry and let it sit on a sheet pan lined with a rack for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 450F.
Heat an enamel Dutch oven over high heat with olive oil and sear the chicken on all sides until golden brown. Let the chicken rest on the sheet pan lined with a rack. Stuff the cavity with a parm rind (optional) and the bouquet garni, covering the cavity with the chicken’s fat to encase the aromatics in the bird.
Drain fat through a mesh sieve to remove any burnt bits or residue. Wipe down - do not wash - the pot to remove any burnt bits and residue and return the clean fat to the pot, along with two tablespoons of olive oil. Turn the heat to medium-high and add the leeks and garlic; toss the carrots, celery, parsnips, and potatoes. Tossing constantly, add the parm rinds, fresh thyme, and bay leaves to the pot—season with Fleur de sel and freshly cracked pepper to taste. Pour the wine into the pot and bring to a boil. Zest in 1 whole lemon, and juice the lemon into the pot. Pour in the bone broth. Once bubbling, add the chicken on top of the vegetables and juices.
Punch your dough down and set aside 1/3 of the dough in a plastic bag in the fridge for leftovers. Roll the rest of the dough into a large snake with the palms of your hands - you want it to be thick and uneven in parts. Then, use your fingers to stretch and flatten it a bit. Wrap the dough around the edge of your Dutch oven, letting most of it fall inside the pot like a halo around the chicken. Brush the dough everywhere with extra-virgin olive oil, cover the pot, and cover the outside overhang of the dough with foil so it doesn’t burn. Add to the oven for 50 minutes.
Serve in the pot on a trivet with tongs and a ladle. Allow everyone to serve themselves into bowls and garnish with parsley. You can finish with your best extra-virgin olive oil and freshly cracked pepper.