Breast de Villon en cocotte
Servings: 2
Ingredients:
2 French trimmed chicken breasts (boneless with tenderloin and wing down to the first joint attached)
2 cups buttermilk
Mirepoix:
½ cup of minced celery
1 cup of minced onion
½ cup minced carrot
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Garnish:
Snipped parsley
Preparation:
Place breasts in a bowl. Cover with buttermilk. Cover bowl and place in ice box for 24 hours.
Preheat oven to 250 F.
Melt butter in the bottom of a cast iron skillet.
When the butter has melted, place the breasts in the butter skin side down.
Brown for 5 minutes or until the skin is crusty brown.
Turn over and brown the other side for 5 minutes.
Remove breasts to a clean plate.
Add mirepoix vegetables to the cast iron skillet oven. Sprinkle with salt, and saute until onion is translucent. Do not allow any of the vegetables to brown.
Sprinkle Herbs to Provence and pepper over mirepoix.
Choose a cocotte or Dutch oven large enough to hold the breasts in a single layer, or other oven proof container that has a tight fitting lid. If using other than a cocotte, cut a piece of tin foil that exceeds the edges of the Dutch oven or ovenproof container by an inch.
Place mirepoix in the bottom of the chosen container.
Place chicken breasts on top of the mirepoix, skin side up.
Place tin foil over the top of the Dutch oven. Fold the tinfoil down over the outer edge. Cover with the lid.
Place in the oven for 2 hours or until the chicken reaches 165°F.
When done, reserve chicken on a tented platter.
Reserve Mirepoix for the gravy.
Gravy
Ingredients:
¼ cup unsalted butter
¼ cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
3 cups chicken broth
Reserved Mirepoix
Preparation:
Strain mirepoix into a bowl. Reserve
Place drippings in a measuring cup and add chicken broth to make 3 cups.
Heat the broth in a saucepan until warm
Heat a second saucepan over medium heat.
Melt butter in the second pan.
Sift the flour over the butter.
Use a whisk to combine the flour and butter. Allow the butter and flour to bubble, while constantly whisking, until the flour becomes golden in color.
Slowly whisk the warmed broth into the roux, until combined and smooth.
Add reserved mirepoix.
Simmer for 15 minutes or until the gravy thickens to the desired consistency.
Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Remove from heat and pour through a fine-mesh strainer.
Discard solids.
Keep warm until serving.
Plating:
Place chicken breast in the center of a plate.
Add desired sides.
Cover chicken with a ribbon of gravy.
Garnish plate with snipped parsley
Serve, with remaining gravy in a gravy boat.