Sautéed Chicken (Poulet Sauté)

ch I had decided to make chicken for dinner this evening. I had been rearranging some of my cookbooks earlier in the day, and found myself holding Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. I in my hands. Why not take a look at how Julia sauteés her chicken? Interesting…page 254 reads…

In a true sauté the cut-up chicken is cooked entirely in butter, or butter and oil, with seasonings. No liquid comes in contact with it until the very end. It is a quick and delicious way to cook chicken, but should be served as soon as possible after it is done or it loses the fresh and juicy characteristics of a saute. The fricassees, however, as they cook in a sauce, take well to reheating.

For this dish a frying chicken is recommended. The other suggestion is to slip a knife under the ribs of the breasts to remove them so that the breasts will cook evenly. Each breast may be chopped in two crosswise, giving you four smaller breast portions.

Sautéed Chicken (Poulet Sauté) Serves 4-6

Total cooking time:30-35 minutes

Browning the chicken (8-10 minutes)

2 and ½ to 3 lbs. of cut-up frying chicken- Dry each piece of chicken thoroughly. It will not brown if it is damp.

A heavy, 10 inch casserole, skillet or electric skillet

2 Tb butter and 1 Tb oil, more if necessary to keep bottom of pan filmed with fat

Place the casserole or skillet over moderately high heat with the butter and oil, (360 degrees for an electric skillet). When you see that the butter foam has almost subsided, add as many chicken pieces, skin-side down, as will fit easily in one layer. In 2-3 minutes, when the chicken has browned to a nice golden color on one side, turn it to brown on another side. Regulate heat so fat is always very hot but not burning. Remove browned pieces as they are done and add fresh ones until all pieces have browned.

Finishing the cooking (20 to 25 minutes)

Salt and pepper

optional: 1 to 2 tsp fresh green herbs: thyme, basil, and tarragon, or tarragon only; or 1 tsp dried herbs

2 or 3 Tb butter, if necessary

Season the dark meat with salt, pepper, and optional herbs. (The wings and breasts are done later, as they cook faster.) If the browning fat has burned, pour it out of the casserole and add the fresh butter. Place over moderate heat (300 degrees for an electric skillet). Add the dark meats, cover the casserole, and cook slowly for 8 to 9 minutes.

Salt and pepper

A bulb baster

Season the white meat, add it to the dark, and baste the chicken with the butter in the casserole. Cover and continue cooking for about 15 minutes, turning and basting the chicken 2 or 3 times.

The meat is done when the fattest part of the drumstick is tender if pinched and the chicken juices run clear yellow when the meat is pricked deeply with a fork.

Remove the chicken to a hot serving platter. Cover and keep warm for 2 to 3 minutes while finishing the sauce.

Brown deglazing sauce

1 Tb minced shallot or green onions

Optional: ½ cup dry white wine or 1/3 cup dry white vermouth

¾ to 1 cup brown chicken stock, canned beef bouillon, or canned chicken broth

1 to 2 Tb softened butter

Optional: 1 to 2 Tb minced parsley or fresh green herbs

Remove all but 2 or 3 tablespoons of fat from the casserole. Add the shallots or onions and cook slowly for 1 minute.

Pour in the optional wine, and the stock. Raise heat and boil rapidly, scraping up coagulated sauté juices and reducing liquid to about 1/3 cup. Correct seasoning. Off the heat and just before serving, swirl in the enrichment butter and optional herbs.