A Sophisticated Chicken Dish that Doesn’t Require a Culinary Degree
Lisa Harp, Valdosta Today Food Contributor
I’ve thrown some more casual recipes at you the last couple of weeks or so and I wanted to find something a bit more sophisticated this week.
Why? I want to show you can make “special” meals for your family without needing a seating chart. Though, that’s not a bad thing, either.
This week’s offering is from the blog, French Revolution. The author is a New York transplant in London who frequents the “Continent” often. I like her blend of fine ingredients and preparation with American smarts.
She uses the creme fraiche in this recipe to tenderize the chicken, much as we use buttermilk. When included with various herbs and such, well, you’ll have to try it for yourself. A good baked chicken is pretty hard to beat, and oh so Continental!
Enjoy!
Crème Fraîche Baked Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 whole chicken legs or chicken breasts, skin-on and bone-in
- Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 cup of crème fraîche
- 1 large shallot, roughly chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic, barely chopped
- The leaves from 2 sprigs of rosemary
- 2 tablespoons of fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
Instructions
Salt and pepper all sides of the chicken. In a baking dish that will hold the chicken in a single layer, toss together the crème fraîche, shallot, garlic, rosemary, and thyme, and season the marinade with salt and pepper. Add the chicken and toss, making sure the crème fraîche gets all over every bit of the chicken.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Lightly grease a rimmed baking sheet. Turn the chicken over in the marinade once last time to coat thoroughly, and place in a single layer on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake 30 minutes (a little longer if using chicken breasts) until the internal temperature is 150 F.
Then crank up the oven to 500 F and bake until the skin puffs up and turns golden brown, about 5 more minutes. Serve with a light green salad and baguette.
Lisa Harp owns Plat du Jour Gourmet Delivery, delivering delicious meals to businesses and individuals all over South Georgia and North Florida since 2003. She has been featured in Southern Living magazine, including the Best of the Year recipes and cookbook, as well as online and newspapers. You can learn more about her business by visiting her website at www.yourplatdujour.com.
