Slow-Roasted Chicken Parts with Shallot-Garlic Pan Sauce

Why this recipe works:

Slow roasting promises extremely juicy chicken but offers little in the way of crispy skin. We switched from a whole chicken to breasts and leg quarters so that we could easily sear the skin in a skillet and double the amount of people we could serve to eight. We left the skin wet before searing in order to promote more fond development, which we used for an easy, robust pan sauce. After searing we transferred the chicken to a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet and slowly roasted it at 250 degrees, ensuring even, gentle cooking throughout. A final spin under the broiler turned the rendered skin crispy and golden brown.

Slow-Roasted Chicken Parts with Shallot-Garlic Pan Sauce

The juiciest meat demands low heat; the crispiest skin, a hot sear. Could we achieve both? Watch the Video

Serves 8

To serve four people, halve the ingredient amounts.

Ingredients

• 5 pounds bone-in chicken pieces (4 split breasts and 4 leg quarters), trimmed
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
• 2 1/4 cups chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
• 4 shallots, sliced thin
• 6 garlic cloves, sliced thin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

Instructions

1. 
   
   1. Adjust 1 oven rack to lowest position and second rack 8 inches from broiler element. Heat oven to 250 degrees. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil and place wire rack on top. Sprinkle chicken pieces with 2 teaspoons salt and season with pepper (do not pat chicken dry).
   2. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Place leg quarters skin side down in skillet; cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, 5 to 7 minutes total. Transfer to prepared sheet, arranging legs along 1 long side of sheet. Pour off fat from skillet. Place breasts skin side down in skillet; cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, 4 to 6 minutes total. Transfer to sheet with legs. Discard fat; do not clean skillet. Place sheet on lower rack, orienting so legs are at back of oven. Roast until breasts register 160 degrees and legs register 175 degrees, 1 hour 25 minutes to 1 3/4 hours. Let chicken rest on sheet for 10 minutes.
   3. While chicken roasts, sprinkle gelatin over broth in bowl and let sit until gelatin softens, about 5 minutes. Whisk water and cornstarch together in small bowl; set aside.
   4. Melt butter in now-empty skillet over medium-low heat. Add shallots and garlic; cook until golden brown and crispy, 6 to 9 minutes. Stir in coriander and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in gelatin mixture, scraping up browned bits. Bring to simmer over high heat and cook until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, 5 to 7 minutes. Whisk cornstarch mixture to recombine. Whisk into sauce and simmer until thickened, about 1 minute. Off heat, stir in parsley and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover to keep warm.
   5. Heat broiler. Transfer sheet to upper rack and broil chicken until skin is well browned and crisp, 3 to 6 minutes. Serve, passing sauce separately.