I’ve been making French Chicken in a Pot with Garlic and Herbs for years. It’s a lovely fall and winter dish because it slow braises in a Dutch oven for 1 hour and 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Besides searing the garlic cloves, vegetables, and chicken the bulk of the cooking is hands off. You can do whatever else you want for all that time. When it’s done remove the chicken to a cutting board very carefully and let it rest for 15 minutes. Serve it with Smashed Cauliflower “Potatoes” or slices of a French baguette so that you can enjoy the amazing broth the chicken creates laced with the garlic, herbs, and braised vegetables.
What until you see what’s inside (15 second video)
Discovering French Chicken in a Pot
Have you every bought a cookbook because of the picture on the cover? I did. I admit it. As soon as I saw “Around My French Table” by Dorie Greenspan I knew I would buy the book because I had to make the chicken dish featured on the cover.
One a chilly day I cuddled up with Dorie’s book and a blanket on my couch, and I started reading her chicken recipe on page 206. She started out by reminiscing about the first time she made chicken in a pot with 40 cloves of garlic. She had gotten the recipe from “Simple French Food” by Richard Olney. “Wait a minute,” I thought. “I have that book.” I jumped up and ran to my cookbook shelf and sure enough, I did have that book. One of the great things about people finding out I like to cook is that I end up inheriting people’s cookbooks and magazines. I love it.
After reading both versions, I made a combination of both of their recipes. The result. Wow. This was the best chicken I have ever made in my life! I could not stop making “mmm” sounds as I was eating. I sounded like Bill Murray in the movie “What about Bob?” in that funny dinner scene. The first time I made French Chicken in a Pot my husband didn’t love it as much as me. Fast forward years later, when I tell him I’m making this for dinner he is excited.
What you need for French Chicken in a Pot
1 whole chicken (the best quality you can afford, preferably organic and pasture-raised
8 oz bag of baby onions fresh or frozen (if fresh see how to prepare onions below otherwise substitute a whole onion cut in 1/8 ths)
12 to 40 cloves of garlic, separated but not peeled
2 celery stalks in 1 inch pieces
2 carrots in 1 inch pieces or several baby carrots
several sprigs of fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, and sage (sometimes a bay leaf)
salt
pepper (omit for AIP)
olive oil
Start some basic prep work by placing the chicken out on a plate, dry it off with a paper towel and set aside so it is not “refrigerator” cold when you place it in the pot to brown. Prep the vegetables and get those se
How to prepare baby onions for braising
- Skin the onions by cutting off the root tips of the onions.
- Put the onions in a small pot of cold water and salt and bring to a boil.
- As soon as the onions come to a boil, rinse, and place in an ice bath.
- Pinch the top end to remove skins.
- Note: You can skip these steps if you use frozen onions or a whole onion quartered.
Separate the garlic cloves.
Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a pot and add the garlic cloves to brown them. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and set aside in a large bowl.
Add a little more oil, if necessary, and then add the celery and onions to get them browned up a bit too then set aside with the garlic.
Brown the carrots in the same manor then set aside with the other vegetables.
Oil up the chicken and place breast side down in the hot oiled pot.
Sear the bird for a couple minutes on the breast side, back side, and both sides until lightly golden brown on each side.
Place all the vegetables into the Dutch oven nestle the chicken on top breast side up. Season the bird with salt, pepper, and fresh herbs like rosemary and thyme sprigs. I had plenty of fresh herbs so I placed some inside the bird too.
Let the chicken cook for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Open the lid and gently remove the chicken to a cutting board. The chicken was so tender and juicy the leg almost fell off.
Carve up the chicken.
And serve with a side that compliments all this delicious “gravy.”
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French Chicken in a Pot with Garlic and Herbs
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken (the best quality you can afford, preferably organic and pasture-raised
- 8 oz bag of baby onions fresh or frozen
- 12 to 40 cloves of garlic, separated but not peeled
- 2 celery stalks in 1 inch pieces
- 2 carrots in 1 inch pieces or several baby carrots
- several sprigs of fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, and sage (sometimes a bay leaf)
- salt and pepper
- olive oil
Directions
- Step 1 Start some basic prep work by placing the chicken out on a plate, dry it off with a paper towel and set aside so it is not “refrigerator” cold when you place it in the pot to brown.
- Step 2 Skin the onions by cutting off the root tips of the onions. Put the onions in a small pot of cold water and salt and bring to a boil. As soon as the onions come to a boil, rinse, and place in an ice bath. Note: You can skip these steps if you use frozen onions or a whole onion quartered.
- Step 3 Separate the garlic cloves.
- Step 4 Preheat oven to 350. Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a pot and add the garlic cloves to brown them. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and set aside in a large bowl.
- Step 5 Add a little more oil, if necessary, and then add the celery and onions to get them browned up a bit too then set aside with the garlic.
- Step 6 Brown the carrots in the same manor then set aside with the other vegetables.
- Step 7 Oil up the chicken and place breast side down in the hot oiled pot.
- Step 8 Sear the bird for a couple minutes on the breast side, back side, and both sides until lightly golden brown on each side.
- Step 9 Place all the vegetables into the Dutch oven nestle the chicken on top breast side up. Season the bird with salt, pepper, and fresh herbs like rosemary and thyme sprigs. I had plenty of fresh herbs so I placed some inside the bird too.
- Step 10 Let the chicken cook for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Open the lid and gently remove the chicken to a cutting board. The chicken was so tender and juicy the leg almost fell off.
- Step 11 Carve up the chicken.
- Step 12 And serve with a side that compliments all the delicious “gravy.”
I have the same Dorie Greenspan cookbook – was going to make her version of Chicken in a pot and then saw your recipe. You didn’t do the pastry seal – did that make a difference? Thank you – Ann Burns
Hi Ann! The very first time I made the recipe I did make a dough seal. My pot must have been much bigger around than the one she used because the bread was over done (like a very crunchy bread stick). Honestly, I haven’t made the dough ring since because it doesn’t “need” it. I’m happy to just buy a baguette to sop up those juices. When I do try it again I’ll double the dough recipe for sure.