CHICKEN AND POTATO GRATIN WITH BROWN BUTTER CREAM

Chicken and Potato Gratin With Brown Butter Cream image

This gratin is decidedly autumnal, inspired by a recipe from one of my favorite food writers, Richard Olney. Olney's chicken gratin calls for making a savory custard, but here you'll combine brown butter and heavy cream with aromatics for a flavorful and easy sauce instead. It's still a luxurious dish. The breadcrumbs for the topping get toasted separately, so they stay crisp and the chicken (ideally seasoned a day in advance so the salt has time to work its way into the meat) and vegetables can get nicely browned and crisp too. I love that this gratin can reinvent itself based on what's available at the market (or in my fridge). In the spring, you might make it with asparagus and young onions; in summer, with tomato wedges, swapping in olive oil for the cream. I recommend serving this fall version with lemon wedges for squeezing over to cut the richness of the dish. A brightly dressed arugula salad would also do the trick.

Provided by Christian Reynoso

Categories Dinner Casserole/Gratin Chicken Potato Shallot Butter Milk/Cream Garlic Pepper Nutmeg Thyme Sage Lemon

Yield 4 Servings

Number Of Ingredients 13

Ingredients

3 lb. skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks
7½ tsp. kosher salt, divided
1 lb. small potatoes (such as fingerling or baby Yukon Gold), halved lengthwise
8 oz. small or medium shallots, halved through root ends
5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
¾ cup heavy cream
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp. freshly grated or ground nutmeg
8 sprigs thyme
8 sage leaves
3½ oz. country-style bread, preferably day-old, torn into large pieces
1 lemon, cut into wedges (optional)

Steps:

Season chicken all over with 4 tsp. salt. Place in an airtight container and cover. Chill at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 425°F. Toss potatoes, shallots, and 2 tsp. salt in a large bowl.
Melt 4 Tbsp. butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring often, until butter foams, then browns, 5-8 minutes. Immediately remove from heat (it will continue to darken) and stir in cream, garlic, pepper, nutmeg, and remaining 1½ tsp. salt. Set saucepan over medium-low heat and cook, stirring, until salt is dissolved and mixture is warm to the touch. Stir in thyme and sage; remove from heat.
Heat remaining 1 Tbsp. butter in a large stainless-steel skillet over medium-high until melted and bubbling. Working in 2 batches, cook chicken, skin side down, until golden underneath, about 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to a 13x9" or 3-qt. baking dish and arrange skin side up. Set skillet with pan drippings aside. Nestle potatoes and shallots around chicken (don't place on top). Pour brown butter cream over chicken and vegetables, making sure herbs and spices are evenly dispersed and tucking herbs into vegetables so they don't get too crispy when they bake.
Bake gratin until cream is mostly reduced and chicken and vegetables are dark golden brown, about 40 minutes. Let gratin cool 5-10 minutes.
Meanwhile, pulse bread in a food processor until pieces are about oat-size (you should have about 1¼ cups). Toss breadcrumbs in pan drippings in reserved skillet to coat. Cook over medium heat, scraping up browned bits with a spatula, until deep golden brown, 5-7 minutes. Let cool.
To serve, top gratin with breadcrumbs. Serve lemon wedges alongside for squeezing over if desired.