Roasted chicken Provençal

Chicken roasted with lemon, shallots, & herbs

I've confessed before that I don't make chicken. Whenever I need chicken for a quick weeknight meal – to toss in a salad, stir fry, or pasta — I bop across the street for deli or rotisserie chicken. So when I decided to buck up and actually roast chicken myself, it was a moment. It was also New Year's Eve, so you know — special occasions call for actually cooking. 

But here's a secret: This roasted chicken Provençal (from the New York Times by way of Pinterest) is so simple, I had to just smile and nod when everyone raved over the results. I may never go back to the deli again! Okay so that's a lie, but at least now I've got a go-to dinner party meal. Try it — I bet you'll agree.

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ROASTED CHICKEN PROVENÇAL

*Note: The amount below would feed about 4 people (if served with hearty side dishes), but you can always add more chicken to the pan. Just make sure not to crowd it! I ended up cooking 6 chicken legs and 4 thighs in a large roasting pan.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED
4 chicken legs or 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
2 tsp kosher salt (more if making more chicken)
1 tsp black pepper (more if making more chicken) 
1/2 to 3/4 cup flour
3 TBS olive oil
2 TBS herbes de Provence (more if making more chicken)
1 to 2 lemons, cut into wedges 
8 to 10 cloves garlic, peeled
4 to 6 medium-sized shallots, peeled and cut into wedges
1/3 cup dry vermouth (or white wine)
springs of fresh thyme, for serving

WHAT YOU'LL DO
1. Preheat oven to 400 or 425 degrees (this depends on your oven; the chicken didn't crisp quite enough in mine at 400 degrees, so I'll increase to 425 next time). 

2. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Put the flour in a shallow pan or bowl, then lightly dredge the seasoned chicken in it. Shake the pieces to remove any excess flour. 

3. Pour olive oil in a large roasting pan and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Place the floured chicken in, arranging the pieces skin-side-up so they're not crowded (this encourages browning). Season the chicken with herbes de Provence. Arrange the lemon, shallots, and garlic cloves around the chicken (add more if needed — you can't overdo it!), then add the vermouth to the pan. 

4. Place the pan in the heated oven and roast for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven and baste with the pan juices (or flip the chicken pieces to get the tops nice and juicy, then turn them skin-side-up again). Return to the oven and continue roasting for another 25 to 30 minutes, or until the skin is browned and the meat cooked through. 

5. Serve in the pan or on a platter, garnished with thyme. 

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The shallots and garlic were soft and delicious when they came out of the oven, so definitely serve those with the chicken. The pan juice is delicious as well, and you're definitely going to want to sop it up with some good crusty bread. 

And I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again: I really couldn't believe how easy this dish was. The hardest part was waiting an hour. What's more, it filled our apartment with a lovely, herby aroma that stayed with us for over 24 hours. I truly can't recommend this recipe enough – the New York Times does it again!