One-Pot Wonders

Super-Quick Roast Chicken with Garlic and White Wine Gravy

by:
January 13, 2014
5
3 Ratings
Super-Quick Roast Chicken with Garlic and White Wine Gravy
Photo by James Ransom
  • Prep time 10 minutes
  • Cook time 30 minutes
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

This dish is a great solution for when you fancy a roast chicken dinner but don’t have much time. This recipe is from my book, Moving out... Eating in. When you share a house, it's best to keep washing to a minimum, which is why I love this one-pot dish. Serve it with mashed potatoes and green beans and drizzle the lot with the garlic and white wine gravy. The best part is you can have the whole meal on the table in less than 30 minutes. (Please do yourself a favor and buy a good-quality, free-range chicken.) —lizziehewson

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 3 1/3 pound whole free-range, skin-on chicken, cut into eight pieces and backbone removed
  • 1 pinch sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 garlic bulb, halved
  • 8 sprigs fresh thyme, divided
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1 cup white wine, divided
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 400° F (200° C). Season the chicken with salt and pepper, as desired.
  2. Put a large, deep roasting pan on the stove over high heat. (Using a roasting pan instead of a frying pan not only saves on the washing time but also means you can use the chicken juices in your gravy.)
  3. Put the garlic, half the thyme, and the oil in the roasting tin. Add the chicken pieces, skin-side down, and cook, without stirring, for 5 to 6 minutes or until the chicken skin is crisp and golden. Turn off the heat.
  4. Turn the chicken over and gently, without pouring directly over the skin, pour the stock and 1/2 cup wine into the pan. This will ensure the skin stays crisp. Place the remaining thyme on top of the chicken and bake for 15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Arrange the chicken on a serving plate.
  5. Put the roasting pan on the stove over medium heat and use a fork to mash the garlic flesh. Use a wooden spoon to mix in the flour, then, whisking continuously with a fork, add the remaining 1/2 cup wine to deglaze the pan (make sure you scrape all the sticky goodness off the bottom). Simmer for a few minutes or until thickened.
  6. Serve the chicken with the gravy drizzled on top (and some mashed potatoes and steamed greens on the side!).
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18 Reviews

samkv
samkv August 23, 2020
This was delicious, but the cooking time is whack. It took about 40 minutes in the oven for the chicken breasts to cook through. Also, with a cup and a half of liquid at the bottom of the pan, there is nothing to deglaze, so I didn't add the extra half cup of wine to the gravy. I think it was perfect without it.
 
esskay
esskay November 16, 2015
Loved making this as it was so quick and a sure-shot winner! Halved the wine and upped the garlic for half-a-kg chicken and added one more ingredient -- four green chillies. Had a hunch it would gel well with the white wine, and it did! The heat added an extra zing to the dish! Thanks for starting me off on this path!
 
Rebecca J.
Rebecca J. October 12, 2015
For gluten-free diners, substitute corn starch for flour, but DON'T add it to pan. 1 T cornstarch into that extra 1/2 cup wine or chicken stock. Whisk it well to mix, then add to juices and broth and continue as usual, being sure to keep stirring with fork or whisk till it blends and thickens.
 
Kerry G.
Kerry G. October 6, 2015
This was easy and a hit. I didn't have any wine, but added extra stock and splash of sake. Also added carrots and cubed potatoes while roasting
 
Antonia A.
Antonia A. August 19, 2015
This was good but...my "chicken for guests go-to" for decades has been Julia Childs' chicken with 40 cloves of garlic. The aroma as you open it at the table is absolutely enticing; everyone dipping crusty bread into the pot liquor makes even the shyest guest part of the communal feeling; it's satisfyingly homey and delicious; it's easy peasy to prepare.
 
Nik J.
Nik J. August 10, 2015
I made this and it was fabulous! I had to add about 5 more minutes to the browning and maybe 5 more for the roasting. But overall, amazing recipe and perfect for after work. Thank you so much! Aldo, I'm new here and I love this site. Can't get enough.
 
Cary H.
Cary H. July 21, 2015
http://www.thekitchn.com/simple-nonalcoholic-substitutes-for-red-and-white-wine-tips-from-the-kitchn-184394. The first link was incomplete.
 
Cary H.
Cary H. July 21, 2015
Filip, here is a link to a site that specifically addresses substitutions for wine. http://www.thekitchn.com/simple-nonalcoholic-substitutes-for-red-and-white-wine-tips-from-the-kitchn-184394
 
Filip
Filip July 21, 2015
What if you don't have wine? Substitutes?
 
Cary H.
Cary H. July 20, 2015
Can't wait to try it myself. When you said you added roasting time, was it because you were monitoring the internal temp with a thermometer? If so, how much longer did you add? I imagine it will still cook for awhile after removal from the oven.
 
Tree
Tree July 20, 2015
Made it tonight! Delish. Subbed in a handful of whole peeled garlic cloves (pantry limitation). Needed to add a few minutes to the roasting time but worth the wait. Served with wilted spinach & some pasta. So good!
 
Cary H.
Cary H. July 20, 2015
You're more than welcome. If you are a garlic lover like me, you should try roasting whole heads of garlic to add to other recipes. Just slice off the top eighth to a quarter of a head. Place it in the center of a piece of foil large enough to wrap the head. Drizzle the exposed portion of the garlic with olive oil. Wrap it tightly and put it in a 350 degree oven for 45-60 minutes. Let it cool and squeeze out the garlic into a small re-sealable container for later use. It will last about a week in the refrigerator.
 
Rockwell
Rockwell July 20, 2015
Thank you for clarifying, Cary Hill! Much appreciated.
 
Cary H.
Cary H. July 20, 2015
Once the garlic is roasted it will be soft. Just squeeze the garlic out of the paper skins from the bottom. They will just slip right out.
 
Rockwell
Rockwell July 20, 2015
Still confused about the garlic! Forgive me. It says "mash the garlic with a fork"--but doesn't the garlic still have the skin on? Do you have to peel it first? I really want to try this recipe and just want to be sure I don't screw it up.

 
Cary H.
Cary H. July 19, 2015
Laura, to answer your question, "yes." Just cut it in half and place it cut side down in the pan. A whole garlic head might be too much but not if you are a garlic lover. By roasting the garlic with the chicken, it will soften and mellow in flavor. It will be soft enough to quickly melt and be incorporated into your pan juices.
 
beezus
beezus July 19, 2015
Laura, I'm also confused about the garlic.
 
Laura K.
Laura K. July 19, 2015
This looks delicious. Does "one garlic bulb, halved" mean unpeeled, cloves unseparated - just hack it in half and chuck both halves in the pot?