Milk Braised Chicken

This may not look like much, but don't let the way it looks put you off.  If you only make one chicken dish this week . . .  let this be the one!  It is absolutely wonderful!




I had bought this chicken at the weekend to roast.  I had seen a recipe on Pinterest for Milk Roasted Chicken and it looked fabulous.  I believe it was a Jamie Oliver recipe.    When I got up this morning however . . .  it was tipping it down rain, and my roasted is stored in the garden shed, which may sound a tad bit odd to you . . .   but if you saw how tiny my kitchen is, the mystery would be solved.



I decided to cut my chicken into portions and use somewhat the same idea, except to braise the pieces in the milk on top of the stove.  It worked beautifully!

 

I seasoned my chicken pieces liberally with fine sea salt and black pepper and then I rolled them in flour and browned them all over in some olive oil on top of the stove.  You want a deep skillet with a lid for this.



After browning, I added the zest of two unwaxed lemons, some bruised garlic cloves, some sage and some thyme . . .  a half a cinnamon stick, and a liberal amount of milk, giving it all a good shake to disperse everything evenly.

 

I brought the milk just up to the boil.  (Try not to boil it or it may boil over.  Keep a close watch!)  Then I popped on a lid, turned the burner down to very low and let it simmer for about an hour or so, until the chicken was fork tender . . .  and the juices of the chicken had mingles with the curds of the milk to make a most lucious sauce.  Like I said . . .  it's not pretty to look at, but what it lacks in looks it more than makes up for in flavour.  This is FABULOUS!  Do give it a try!

*Milk Braised Chicken*

Serves 4 to 6

Printable Recipe  

Deliciously tender chicken, braised in milk with aromatics, until it is meltingly tender.   Be sure to spoon over some of those delicious pan juices when you serve it up.  

1.5 kg of chicken  pieces  (about 3 pounds, I used a whole chicken cut up into pieces)

fine sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

flour

olive oil

1/2 a cinnamon stick

1 tsp crumbled dried sage leaves

1 tsp dried thyme

the zest of two unwaxed lemons

5 cloves of garlic, skins on, but lightly bruised

565ml of whole milk (about 2 1/2 cups)  

 

Season the chicken pieces all over with salt and pepper and roll them in some flour to coat.   Heat some olive oil in a large skillet (with a lid) over medium heat.   Brown the chicken on all sides until golden.   Sprinkle over the herbs, lemon zest and toss in the garlic and cinnamon stick.  Pour over the milk.  Turn the chicken in the milk so that all of the herbs etc. get into the milk.  Bring the milk just to the boil then reduce to a low simmer.  

 


Cover and cook on low heat for about an hour to an hour and ahalf, until the chicken is very tender and falling off the bone.  Check frequently to make sure the milk has not evaporated, adding a bit more if need be.  Once done, squeeze the garlic out of the skins and mash it down into the sauce.  To serve divide the chicken meat amongst heated plates, spooning over some of the pan juices.  It ain't pretty but it's pretty good!



I served this with some rice which I had cooked in a bit of chicken stock with a herb pot added, and some crispy tender chantenay carrots and petit pois.   Absolutely gorgeous.