CHICKEN SAUTÉ

Sautéed chicken pieces are delicious. They are also quick to prepare, perhaps the quickest. Compared to braising, usefulness of the sauté is limited. With absence of liquid in cooking, the finished pieces become dry very fast. They must be served immediately, and of course cannot be used next day.

This recipe is included primarily for completeness, and as a footnote to history.

In a French classic sauté the chicken is first browned, then cooked covered but without liquid. Finally a pan sauce is made. To capture the unique quality of sautéed chicken, no liquid is used except for the pan sauce at the end.

Today, this method is perhaps useful for yourself, when you do not have to fuss with serving considerations. For simplicity use white or dark pieces, not both, as they require different cooking times.

Per person

To brown chicken, 15 minutes

Rinse chicken pieces in cold water and pat dry on all sides. They will not brown unless dry.

Heat butter and oil rapidly in pan. When butter foam has almost subsided, add chicken, skin side down. Pieces should not touch. You may have to brown in two batches.

Cook skin side until golden brown. This will take 2 or 3 minutes according to Julia Child, 5 minutes for Patricia Wells. Take your pick.

Turn chicken on the other side and repeat. Throughout browning regulate fire so that fat is very hot but not burning.

(May be done in advance to this point.)

To finish cooking

Season with salt, pepper, and herbs. Cover and continue cooking until done. Turn and baste from time to time. Time will be perhaps 15 minutes for white meat, 25 minutes for dark.

When done, chicken pieces on a white plate should drain yellow juices with no trace of rose. Place on a heated plate and cover to keep warm until serving.

To make the pan sauce

Remove most of the fat from the pan. Add shallots and cook slowly 1 minute. Add wine and chicken stock. Increase heat and boil rapidly, scraping up bits and pieces in the bottom of the pan.

When liquid has reduced to about 1/3, correct seasoning and pour over chicken. Melt in the optional butter, add parsley, and serve immediately.

Variations

Escoffier developed an astonishing variety of sauces for sautéed chicken. He generally browned the chicken pieces on the stove, as above, then finished them covered in the oven.

He described 47 chicken sautés. These began with Archduke (chicken cooked with onions, finished with brandy, cream, veloute sauce, butter, lemon, and Madeira) through Verdi (pieces set in a border of risotto crowned with foie-gras and truffles, finished with Asti wine, veal stock, and butter).