Serves 4
195 min
Crispy Chicken With Shallots
Recipe GLPR9679622b4da6d6
A classic French-inspired dish featuring a halved chicken with the breastbone removed, coated with a vibrant herb paste made from garlic, mint, and parsley. The chicken is chilled to dry the skin, then seared skin-side down in a cast iron skillet before roasting with caramelized shallots until the skin is golden and crispy. Finished with fresh parsley and pan juices for a simple yet elegant main course.
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Ingredients
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, plus more for serving
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1 whole chicken (3 1/2–4 pounds), halved with breastbone removed
8 small shallots, peeled with root end trimmed
Directions
In a food processor, combine the garlic cloves, mint leaves, olive oil, and parsley. Pulse until the mixture is very finely chopped, resembling a coarse paste. Transfer to a bowl and season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Set the herb paste aside.
Pat the chicken dry and season both halves generously with salt and pepper. Spread the herb paste evenly over the flesh side of each chicken half. Place the chicken halves skin side up on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Refrigerate uncovered for at least 3 hours (or up to 1 day ahead). This allows the skin to dry, which promotes crispiness during cooking.
Position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 425°F. Pat the chilled chicken dry with paper towels. Heat a large ovenproof skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat. Place the chicken halves skin side down in the hot skillet and cook undisturbed for about 5 minutes, until the skin is golden brown and beginning to crisp.
Add the peeled shallots to the skillet around the chicken. Transfer the entire skillet to the preheated oven and roast for 20–25 minutes, turning the shallots once halfway through cooking to ensure even caramelization.
Turn the chicken halves skin side up. Continue roasting until the skin is very crisp and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (without touching bone) registers 165°F, about 8–10 minutes longer.
Remove the skillet from the oven. Transfer the chicken halves and roasted shallots to a serving platter. Drizzle with any pan juices, garnish with fresh parsley leaves, and serve immediately.
