Description
Ina Garten’s chicken with shallots delivers a comforting French-inspired main course that balances rich flavors with simple ingredients. Home cooks can easily prepare this elegant dish for a memorable meal that brings rustic charm to the dinner table.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 chicken breasts, boneless, skin on (6 to 8 oz/170 to 225 g each)
- 3 tbsps vegetable or canola oil
- ½ cup (120 ml) dry white wine
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) lemon juice, freshly squeezed (3 lemons)
- ¼ cup (40 g) shallots, minced (1 large)
- 4 tbsps (½ stick/60 g) butter, unsalted, diced, at room temperature
- 3 tbsps heavy cream
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper, freshly ground
Instructions
- Preheat Preparation: Ignite the oven to 220°C (425°F), creating an ideal thermal environment for culinary transformation.
- Chicken Preparation: Thoroughly dry chicken breasts, then lavishly season with salt and ground black pepper, ensuring comprehensive flavor penetration.
- Searing Technique: Heat oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high flame until it reaches a dynamic smoking point, then strategically place chicken skin-side down for 4-5 minutes to develop a robust golden crust.
- Oven Transition: Flip chicken with precision, transferring the entire skillet into the preheated oven, allowing 12-15 minutes of uninterrupted roasting until internal temperature signals perfect doneness at 74°C (165°F).
- Sauce Composition: Simultaneously craft a luxurious sauce by combining white wine, fresh lemon juice, and finely chopped shallots in a separate pan, reducing liquid to concentrate flavors and intensify complexity.
- Sauce Refinement: Introduce heavy cream, additional seasoning, and gently swirl cold butter into the simmering mixture, creating a silky, emulsified sauce that promises to elevate the dish’s overall gustatory experience.
- Elegant Presentation: Plate the succulent chicken, cascading the velvety sauce overtop, and finish with a delicate sprinkle of salt to accentuate the intricate flavor profile before serving immediately.
Notes
- Moisture Management: Thoroughly pat chicken dry to achieve a crispy, golden-brown exterior and prevent steaming instead of searing.
- Skillet Selection: Use a cast-iron skillet for even heat distribution and superior browning, creating a restaurant-quality crust.
- Temperature Precision: Monitor chicken’s internal temperature carefully; 74°C (165°F) ensures juicy, safely cooked meat without drying.
- Sauce Swirling Technique: Gently incorporate cold butter off heat to create a silky, emulsified sauce without breaking or separating.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 485
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 500 mg
- Fat: 36 g
- Saturated Fat: 17 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 7 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 34 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg