Chicken in a Cast Iron Pot / Poulet en Cocotte

I love my dutch oven/cast iron pot (cocotte), heavy as hell but it's easy to use and it has its advantages.  Some of you may use a slow cooker but this is my slow cooker!  They are known to being able to hold their heat for a long period of time, so they are best for recipes that require a slow consistent heat. The cocotte has an even heating surface and lid which in turns helps keep the heat even throughout the entire pot! 


We received this for Christmas from my parents in-law and every time I cook with it, I think of them!  It's not a Le Creuset but a Fontignac, same type, different brand! Don't exceed 400 degrees in the oven with this type of duroplast knob....

Here is one of my simple recipes that I mixed and matched, including Julia Child's "Poulet en Cocotte".

Ingredients:

Whole Chicken

Olive Oil / Butter

Peppercorns

Salt

Potatoes

Onion

Garlic

Rosemary / Thyme / Bay Leaves

Lemon

Whole Organic Chicken

Rosemary from my terrace!

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.


Cut the potatoes in 4 or 6 chunks, depending on the size of them.


Blanch the potatoes for a few minutes, take out and strain.


Olive oil in cocotte and brown the chicken on both sides, give it more color than the way my chicken looks in my picture.....


Take chicken out and brown the potatoes and the onions.


Stuff the chicken with all the herbs, lemon cut in half, garlic, butter.....also butter the chicken between the skin and chicken, this can help flavor the chicken!


Truss the chicken....yep that's right! Tie him up!

Before

Cover with Foil

Now put the sucker in the cocotte and cover with foil.  The oven should be ready to receive your cocotte at 325 degrees!  


2 hours should be good!


Enjoy!

Poulet en Cocotte

As you can see, I should've browned the chicken a bit more, either way - it was delicious and very juicy. 


Use your imagination and make whatever chicken stew you want in this Cocotte.  I like using this for my chicken because it really keeps the juices in!