Dutch Oven Chicken and Vinaigrette Recipe (2024)

For many years, our Sunday "family dinner" has centered on a dish similar to this -- the "roast chicken with lemon" recipe from Marcella Hazan's Italian cookbook. Here the cavity is stuffed with a whole lemon and closed, after the lemon rind has been pricked with small holes to let the lemony steam saturate the chicken from the inside. I frequently add a selection of root vegetables around the bird, set on a rack in an open roasting pan, and make a delicious sauce with white wine and lemon.

This is a wonderful, classic French recipe which I have made many times. No dish is great without great ingredients. In this case it's the chicken. I'll bet you anything that Ms. Greenspan either went to her favorite butcher or farmer's market stall to buy the best bird that she could find.

I think this sounds amazing. My family does best with chicken parts - and I have a gorgeous Le Creuset 5 quart brasier that will accommodate the pieces and the aromatics. Has anyone done this? I think my only concern would be whether the garlic will soften enough in the time it takes to cook the pieces (which if they have their way will be boneless, skin on thighs and bone-in skin-on breasts (which cook in similar time). Thoughts?

I remember this from my school days in France. Somehow, the school kitchen managed to make this marvelous dish for many, many girls at once, slightly differently every time. Making use of the best of a season is the hallmark of all fine cooking.Thank you, Ms. Greenspan.

I have prepared this dish and it's an excellent way to half roast/braise a bird. However, I think the temperature of 450 is a mistake. That is far too high and long. 350 for 1.5 hours is about perfect and, on a 4lb bird, should yield an internal temp of about 150-155.

Buy a nice bottle of wine and use what you need. Freeze the reminder in ice cube trays and pop them into a freezer bag when frozen Use whenever you need.

Final step: After you've eaten your fill of the main dish, throw the carcass/bones and leftover pan scrapings and juices into a stock pot and bring it to a slow simmer. Makes a great simple chicken broth.

I have made a version of this recipe (minus the 1/4cup olive oil) in a Romertopf clay casserole pot that I have used for 35 years! Best chicken ever - moist and full of flavor, plus lots of juices from the chicken that are terrific over rice, potatoes, or pasta.Just remember to soak the clay pot for about 20 minutes before putting in the chicken, wine, and seasonings. Put the pot in a cold oven and turn to 425 degrees for 60-80 min.

Just cooked it today - I bought the best organic chicken available (Rocky or Mary's) and it does make a difference, tender and juicy, with great flavor. I used French Dijon mustard and walnut oil instead of EVOO, and Meyer lemons, salad greens (including sorrel) and herbs from my garden. This is definitely a keeper! Too bad I could not have made this for a dinner party - where I live we have quite a problem with Delta Plus. Thank you for this wonderful recipe.

Has anyone tried this yet with chicken parts, say thighs only?

A hit. In addition to the onions, added a base of large chunks of yukon golds, carrots, and halved crimini mushrooms that all desperately needed using. To ensure enough pan drippings, upped the wine a bit and used both halves of a juicy deseeded lemon. The vinaigrette is fantastic! Per personal preference, I tweaked it to be heavier on the drippings, garlic, and mustard, but it was still excellent as written. Omitted the walnut oil because with the extra drippings it was plenty rich.

If available, try a Bell and Evans chicken. They’re closest to a real butcher shop chicken

I've made versions of this before, and it's great. But the first time I made this my husband thought the skin was too flabby and pale, and we don't have a broiler. The next time I made it I put it in the 450 degree oven with the lid off for 15 minutes to get the breast skin to brown a little, then put on the lid for the rest of the cooking time. It came out perfect, with the breast skin lightly golden. Just add a little more wine to compensate for the time it is uncovered at that high heat.

Seeking recommendations for decent quality wines sold in small quantities. My husband loves wine sauces but doesn't drink so I frequently waste over half a bottle when a recipe calls for a cup of wine or less. I tempted edibility by using an airplane sized bottle of Sutter Home Sauvignon Blanc for this, and luckily it still worked out wonderfully, but I'd love to have better options in the future! Appreciate any suggestions.

So simple and so delicious. We have made this many times since seeing it in Around My French Table. It never fails to please guests. I add vegetables to the pot ( carrots, potatoes, etc.) and the meal is complete.

Excellent. Lower cooking temp to 350 degs, add add’l time as necessary to reach 165 degs by meat thermometer. Add veggies (carrots, cauliflower, etc). Serve over kale, with brown rice for the sauce

An easy weekend recipe made with ingredients readily available and on hand in the kitchen. We didn't do greens but served with lentils and steamed broccoli on the side. The vinaigrette is fantastic. My young kids loved the whole meal.

A wonderful chicken preparation. I roasted for 15 minutes without the lid to get a little color on the chicken. Also did not remove any of the remaining drippings, which was over 6 TBS, and simply prepared remaining sauce in pot. Outstanding! Also, I did substitute chicken broth for water.

As I made this with two cut-up chickens in one pot, obviously I had some flabby-skinned pieces. As it took longer to cook, I took the (cooked) topped pieces off to crisp up some of the underneath pieces, which worked OK. The vinaigrette is excellent, and the dish was nice, but probably it would be far superior cooked as described.

EXCELLENT dish! Super tender chicken, and so flavorful. Not a lot of work either.

There is a reason that I have this bookmarked; it turns out great every time. We raise chickens, laying hens. We end up with extra roosters, and our bad-boys too mean to re-home go into the pot before they get old and tough.

No idea how this tastes yet, but the smells coming out of the oven are AMAZEBALLS!!

Definitely make again. Double the sauce and triple the stock: 1 C water and 18 T juice reduced to 1/2 C.

I have made this six or seven times. It has received high praise every time. I usually use a 5 or 5 1/2 pound chicken, so cooking time is usually about an hour and fifteen minutes. I uncover after an hour to brown the bird. It is really easy to put together. This is now my go-to meal for guests! And the vinaigrette is to die for. Not just for the bird and greens, but it is great on roasted potatoes also.

Skip the vinaigrette, have bread for the juice, potatoes are nice. This is great and easy.

I have made this dish 3 times and it was perfect every time. I did tweak it some by adding cut up potatoes, carrots, parsnips (any root veg, really) and layering the bottom (after mixing the oil, herbs, etc.) before adding the chicken. I've also eliminated the whole garlic bulb, and only used uncut cloves with the veggies. And I didn't like how the vinaigrette came out, so I don't make it; the gravy that forms is enough...delicious!!

I have made this twice, with excellent results. Last year I was gifted a Staub 7-quart Dutch oven which is perfect for this recipe. I suspect using the Staub contributes to a quicker cooking time as well as the juiciest roast chicken I have ever made. I put little potatoes at the bottom with the onion, garlic and herbs, which worked out very well. Tomorrow morning the carcass, lemon and all, will go in my slow cooker with more onion, herbs, and veggies to make soup stock. Definitely a winner!

This sounds like a close cousin of a poulet en cocotte bonne femme from Mme. St-Ange via Julia Child. Same technique (roasted, covered--okay on a stovetop), different ingredients (butter, bacon, baby potatoes, pearl onions). Either way, the technique produces superior meat.

How about a replacement for the wine? I recently cut out alcohol and am experimenting with different ingredients to replace the wine that appears in (many!) of my favorite recipes.

set oven at 350 1.5 hours or clay pot in cold oven at 425 60-80 minutes