Roasted Chicken with Lemon (Ina Garten)
The chicken is juicy, the lemon and garlic are bright and fresh, the wine is unassuming and the herbs are earthy and grounding. It feels way more impressive than the minimal effort you put into it. One of the standout parts for me was how well the ingredients worked together. They married with a beautiful complexity that I didn’t expect. The resulting sauce is something I’d bottle up and keep on hand in my fridge to eat regularly. It’s great on chicken (obviously), over roasted broccoli or steamed broccoli, on rice or mashed potatoes, on orzo or other small pasta and as a dip for a knob of bread. We didn’t let a drop of it go to waste. And let’s not forget that crispy skin. I could eat just that and be happy, but the juicy meat underneath is the real showstopper. We really couldn’t get enough.
6 Tbsp. butter (80 g)
⅔ cup all-purpose flour, unbleached (80 g)
3⅓ cups whole milk (800 mL)
¼ tsp. fine sea salt
1 pinch ground nutmeg
Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
In a large skillet or high-sided braiser, melt the butter over low heat. Sprinkle the flour on top and stir with a wooden spoon to form a light roux paste. Cook, stirring continuously, for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Do not to burn.
Remove the pan from heat. Add ½ cup milk and whisk thoroughly to break up the lumps. Keep whisking until the mixture looks creamy. Slowly add the rest of the milk, whisking continuously as you pour.
Return the pan to the stove; adjust to medium-low heat. Cook the sauce, whisking frequently, until it has thickened to the consistency of runny sour cream (about 12-20 minutes or more depending on pan size). Do not walk away.
Season with salt to taste. Top with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, if desired. When ready, the sauce should coat the back of a wooden spoon. Note: The sauce will thicken further as it cools. If not using immediately, a skin may form on the surface.
Cook's Notes:
- The flavour of béchamel sauce, in its purest form, is mild and sweet. Feel free to season with extra salt, a pinch of nutmeg and/or Parmesan cheese. It really depends on what you’re using the béchamel sauce for. I typically leave mine plain and doctor it up as needed.
- Use bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts. The recipe calls for boneless skin-on chicken breasts, which tend to be more expensive and harder to find. If you go for bone-in, skin-on breasts, however, the skin crisps up beautifully and the bone helps keep the chicken moist and flavourful. I used larger breasts and they were still very juicy.
- Don’t skip the white wine. It adds depth and richness that complements the brightness of the lemon. If you don’t have wine on hand, make another dish that night and make a trip to the store to pick up a bottle. The wine takes this dish to another level. If you don’t drink alcohol, try a quality non-alcoholic wine. Traditional substitutes like chicken broth won’t yield the same result.
- Broil for extra-crispy skin. If you love super-crispy skin, place the chicken under the broiler for the last two minutes, watching it closely, to get it perfectly golden-brown.
- Rest before serving. The 10-minute resting period is not a suggestion. It helps lock in all those succulent juices so you don’t end up with dry chicken.
Storage:
- Store the béchamel sauce in an airtight container, such as a quart container, with a splash of milk on the surface to prevent a skin from forming on top (alternatively, use plastic wrap or parchment paper to cover, pressed down directly onto the sauce).
- Chill for up to 3 days.
- Freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost overnight in the fridge or at room temperature. Do not cook frozen sauce; it needs to thaw first.