Best Thyme Roasted Chicken Breast With Morel Madeira Gravy Recipes

SIMPLE ROAST CHICKEN WITH GRAVY

Steps:

• Pat the chicken dry inside and out with paper towels, and let sit at room temperature to take the chill off, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, position an oven rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 450 degrees F. Put a rack in a small roasting pan.
• Season the cavity of the chicken generously with salt and pepper, and stuff it with the thyme and garlic. Tie the legs together with butcher's twine. Season the outside with salt (generously) and a few grinds of pepper, and place the chicken breast-side up on the rack. (Seasoning the chicken when on the rack could result in gravy that's too salty.)
• Roast the chicken until the skin is golden brown and crispy and a thermometer inserted in the deepest part of the thigh registers 165 to 170 degrees F, depending on how you like your dark meat, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Let the chicken rest on the rack for a few minutes, then carefully tip it forward to drain all the collected juices into the roasting pan. Discard the thyme and garlic. Let the chicken rest on a cutting board while you make the gravy. (To transfer the chicken easily, hold a wooden spoon handle in the cavity with one hand and use the other hand to lift the chicken with tongs.)
• Remove the rack from the pan, and pour the pan drippings into a small bowl. Skim off 2 tablespoons of the fat, and stir them into the flour and 2 tablespoons water in another small bowl. Heat the roasting pan over medium-high heat, add the wine, scrape up any browned bits and simmer until the wine reduces by half, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chicken stock and any remaining pan drippings, bring to a simmer, add the flour mixture and whisk constantly until the liquid thickens into a gravy, 2 to 3 minutes. Season the gravy with salt and pepper.
• Remove the butcher's twine from the chicken. Snip off the wingtips using kitchen shears; reserve to make stock. Remove the leg quarters by slicing between the thigh and the body, then finding the hip joints near the backbone and slicing through them. Separate the drumsticks and thighs, and transfer to a platter. Sit the carcass upright; snip out the backbone and reserve it to make stock. Lay the breast skin-side up and slice in half through the breastbone. Separate the wings and breast, and transfer to the platter. Serve the chicken with the warm gravy. Reserve the carcass to make stock.

LEMON THYME CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine flour, salt and pepper. Set aside 4-1/2 teaspoons for sauce. Sprinkle remaining flour mixture over both sides of chicken. , In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add chicken; cook until juices run clear, 7-9 minutes on each side. Remove and keep warm. , In the same pan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir until tender, 3-5 minutes. Stir in thyme and reserved flour mixture until blended. Gradually stir in broth and lemon juice, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes. Serve over chicken. Sprinkle with thyme.

GINA'S PERFECT ROAST CHICKEN WITH GRAVY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.
• Lay onion slices down the center of a large cast iron skillet to create 2 rows that are touching.
• Season the cavity of the chicken with salt and pepper, add lemon slices, thyme, rosemary, sage and garlic cloves.
• Using your hands, gently separate the skin from the meat of the breast. Evenly spread the Herb Butter on the meat underneath the skin. Take the remaining butter and gently rub the skin. Wash hands and season the skin with salt and pepper. Tie drumsticks together using twine. Place the chicken on the onion slices.
• Transfer the pan to the preheated oven and roast until the skin is golden brown and crisp, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Use an instant-read thermometer to make sure the thighs have reached 165 degrees F.
• Remove the chicken from the oven. Transfer to a cutting board, tent with foil and let rest.
• Spoon off as much fat from the pan as possible. Place the pan over high heat and add white wine. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add chicken broth and let reduce to about half, about 4 to 5 minutes. Strain out the onions. Add the gravy back to the pan and keep warm.
• Cut the twine from the drumsticks and carve. Pour the gravy into a serving bowl and serve with the chicken.
• In a small bowl, add the butter, chopped thyme, rosemary, and sage. Season with salt and pepper and mix together with a wooden spoon. Reserve.

CHICKEN WITH MORELS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Lift the morels carefully from the hot water in order to leave any grit behind in the liquid. Rinse a few times to be sure all the grittiness is gone. Discard the liquid and dry the morels lightly with paper towels. Set aside.
• Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Dredge them in flour and shake off the excess. Heat half the clarified butter in a large saute pan and cook the chicken in 2 batches over medium-low heat until browned on both sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove to an ovenproof casserole.
• Add the rest of the clarified butter to the pan along with the shallots, drained morels, and garlic. Saute over medium heat for 2 minutes, tossing and stirring constantly. Pour the Madeira into the pan and reduce the liquid by half over high heat, 2 to 4 minutes. Add the creme fraiche, cream, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt, and 3¿4 teaspoon pepper. Boil until the mixture starts to thicken, 5 to 10 minutes. Pour the sauce over the chicken and bake for 12 minutes, or until the chicken is heated through. To make ahead, refrigerate the chicken and sauce in the casserole and reheat slowly on top of the stove.

THYME-ROASTED CHICKEN BREAST WITH MOREL-MADEIRA GRAVY

Steps:

• Combine boiling water and morels in small bowl. Let stand until morels soften, about 35 minutes. Strain; reserve soaking liquid. Coarsely chop morels.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to skillet; cook until golden, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to shallow baking dish (do not clean skillet). Bake until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat same skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic and thyme and sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. Add morel soaking liquid, leaving any residue in bowl. Boil mixture until most of liquid evaporates, about 4 minutes. Add chicken broth and 1/4 cup Madeira; boil until gravy is reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 5 minutes. Strain gravy into small saucepan; add morels. Cover and simmer 5 minutes. Whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch and remaining 1 tablespoon Madeira in small bowl. Whisk into gravy; simmer until thickened, about 30 seconds. Season gravy with salt and pepper. Spoon over chicken and serve.