Chilly nights and pot roast dinners… a perfect combination, but who said a pot roast has to be beef? Deliciously simple one-pot meals can be made with chicken, lamb or even fish as the main attraction.
This Pan-Roasted Chicken With Shallots And Couscous is proof of that. Inspired by a recipe I had seen for pan-roasted chicken with tarragon and lentils, I switched out a few ingredients more to the hubby’s taste (let’s just say there’s no room for lentils in his world) .
In place of lentils I used a blend of grains available at Trader Joe’s. It is a combination of Israeli style couscous, orzo, baby garbanzo beans, and red quinoa. Rice, barley, or any one of these grains alone would be wonderful as well.
A whole chicken, split down the back is browned quickly in olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet or saute pan. After adding shallots, garlic, vinegar, wine, broth and the couscous blend the dish is finished off in the oven.
The chicken is juicy and moist, and the couscous absorbs all the wonderful flavors of the cooking liquid.
Pan-Roasted Chicken With Shallots and Couscous (4-6 servings)
(adapted from Pan-Roasted Chicken with Tarragon and Lentils from Sara Foster)
1 (4-pound whole chicken, split down back)
Sea salt or kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
3-4 garlic cloves, smashed
4 shallots, quartered
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 cup white wine
2 cups chicken broth (low sodium, if you prefer)
1 cup Trader Joe’s Harvest Grains Blend ( or whatever grain you like)
Fresh thyme ( a few sprigs)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Rinse chicken, and pat dry. Remove any excess skin or fat. Sprinkle all over with salt and pepper.
3. Heat olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet or saute pan over medium heat. Add chicken breast side down, and cook until skin is crispy and brown, about 10 minutes.
Turn chicken over, add garlic and shallots, and cook stirring constantly, about 1 minute.
4. Add vinegar, wine and broth; stir, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the couscous blend and add more salt and pepper.
5. Transfer skillet to oven, and bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until the couscous is tender and the juices from the chicken thighs run clear or a meat thermometer registers 170 degrees.
6. Cut chicken into serving pieces. Place a spoonful of couscous on a plate, top with shallots, and a piece of chicken. Spoon cooking liquid over chicken and couscous. Sprinkle with fresh thyme, and serve.