Jamie Oliver’s Chicken in Milk

The British chef and cooking star Jamie Oliver described this classic Italian dish as “one of the great dinners of all time.” He modified the recipe to cook a whole chicken rather than traditional pork. The result was incredibly succulent meat under crispy skin. Saucy too. Absolutely delicious!

The day I cooked the chicken, we ate it with roasted potatoes, roasted asparagus, and sautéed fresh English peas. Wonderful. The next day, I served the leftover meat with brown Basmati rice and sautéed greens- with sauce drizzled all over the top. Great as well. It could also be served with pasta or bread. This recipe was adapted from the New York Times, contributed by Jamie Oliver.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

• 1 whole chicken, 3-4 pounds
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 10 cloves garlic, skins left on
• 2 ½ cups whole milk
• 1 handful of fresh sage, leaves picked — around 15-20 leaves
• 2 lemons

1. Heat oven to 375, preferably on convection.
2. Season the chicken aggressively with the salt and pepper.
3. Place a pot that will fit the chicken snugly (I used a deep 4-quart pot) over medium-high heat on the stove, and add to it the butter and olive oil.
4. When the butter has melted and is starting to foam, add the chicken to the pot and fry it, turning every few minutes, until it has browned all over.
5. Turn the heat down to low, remove the chicken from the pot and place it onto a plate, then drain off all but a few tablespoons of the fat from the pot. (I left more fat than recommended but would reduce the amount next time.)
6. Add the cinnamon stick and garlic to the pot, and allow them to sizzle in the oil for a minute or 2, then return the chicken to the pot (preferably breast-side down) along with the milk and sage leaves.
7. Use a vegetable peeler to cut wide strips of skin off the two lemons, and add them to the pot as well.
8. Slide the pot into the oven, and bake for approximately 1½ hours, basting the chicken occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and tender and the sauce has reduced into a thick, curdled sauce. (If the sauce is reducing too quickly, put a cover halfway onto the pot.)
9. To serve, use a spoon to divide the chicken onto plates. Spoon sauce over each serving.

Two Years Ago:

• Hunter’s Chicken Stew
• Chicken Goulash with Biscuit Dumplings

Three Years Ago:

• Mustard Chicken with Shallots

Four Years Ago:

• Indonesian Coconut Rice with Chicken & Zucchini
• South Carolina Mustard Pulled Pork

About Josette@thebrookcook

I live in Stony Brook, New York on Long Island. I love garlic and baking. My hobby (and love) is to try new recipes. My favorite recipe resources include The New York Times, Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, and Martha Stewart Living. Enjoy!

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