Braised Chicken in Milk
A roasted chicken is classic, and gorgeous, but never as tender and juicy as one that has been braised with the lid on — if you’re willing to swap crispy skin for juicy meat. The combination of milk, lemon and heat creates this split sauce that’s delicious (albeit unphotogenic) over the chicken, and requires no making of gravy.
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Canola oil or butter, for cooking
- Finely grated zest of a lemon
- Small handful of fresh sage leaves
- 1 head garlic, divided into cloves (no need to peel their skins)
- 2 cups 2% or whole milk
- 1 cinnamon stick (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375˚F.
- Pat the chicken dry, season it with salt and pepper, and heat a heavy, oven-proof pot on the stove-top over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of oil and brown the chicken all over, turning it with tongs.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the pot, cover and bake for 1½ hours, removing the lid for the last half an hour if you like to brown the top a little more.
- To serve, pull the meat off the bones and drizzle with sauce; add a few cloves of garlic from the braise.