Herbed Chicken with Spring Vegetables
Submitted by happyzhangbo
Herbed chicken with spring vegetables: thyme, parsley, and fennel-seed butter stuffed under crispy chicken skin, served with cipollini onions, baby carrots, snap peas, and morels. A restaurant-style one-skillet dinner.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
16 minCOOK
32 minREADY
50 minThis is what a French bistro serves when spring produce comes in. Fresh thyme, parsley, garlic, fennel seeds, and red pepper flakes get pushed under the chicken skin so every bite of meat carries those aromatics, not just the surface. That herb-under-skin trick is the single best way to flavor chicken all the way through.
The chicken gets seared in olive oil until the skin turns crackly and golden, then finishes in the oven while you use the same pan to build the vegetable component. Cipollini onions, baby carrots, snap peas, and morel mushrooms cook in the chicken’s leftover fond with a splash of stock.
Scraping up those browned bits with a wooden spoon is not optional. Every drop of caramelized chicken juice ends up coating the vegetables, which is the whole point of cooking them in the same pan.
Pro Tips
- Push the herb mixture gently under the skin without tearing it. A torn skin means the herbs leak out and no crispy finish.
- Start the chicken skin-side down in a hot pan. Rendering the skin fat first gives you the crispiest result.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. Use a wide skillet so heat circulates and each piece browns properly.
- Morels are sandy; soak briefly in cold water and pat dry before slicing.
Variations
- Swap morels for cremini, oyster, or shiitake mushrooms.
- Use asparagus tips, fava beans, or English peas in place of snap peas.
- Add a splash of white wine along with the stock for more depth.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375℉ (190℃).
In a small bowl combine the thyme, parsley, garlic, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Stir to combine. Place the chicken pieces on a work surface.
Gently loosen the skin of the chicken and push the herb mixture under the skin.
Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper.
Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Place the chicken in the pan, skin side down, when the oil is hot.
Cook until the skin is crispy and golden, about 5 minutes.
Turn the chicken and cook the same way on the other side.
Turn the heat off the pan and reserve.
Transfer the chicken to a baking dish , skin side up again, and finish cooking in the oven, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile return the same pan to medium heat.
Add 1 tablespoon of the butter. When the butter has melted add the cipollini onions and carrots.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Cook until tender and golden in places, about 7 minutes.
Add the chicken broth and scrape any brown bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
Add the snap peas and mushrooms.
Simmer over low heat until the vegetables are tender and the liquid has reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper, if necessary.
Remove the chicken from the oven.
Spoon the vegetables onto a serving platter along with the chicken.
Spoon the sauce over the chicken.
Serve immediately.
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