Poule au Pot or Chicken in a Pot

This is a recipe Sara has passed along that uses preserved Meyer lemons, which I blogged about previously.  It's a nice rustic twist on the traditional chicken pot pie and this version is an authentic French classic.  After cooking it was black on the outside and we figured the dough was just to seal the pot and not edible, but once the pot was opened (not easy, you really do need a screwdriver) the dough inside was cooked to perfection.   This would be a great company dish, but keep in mind it's a little fatty and rich since the chicken has skin and it all cooks together.  The chicken turned out so tender and juicy with the melding of fresh herbs, tons of garlic and vegetables, with a slight hint of lemon and a beautiful crispy crust to top it all off...creating a comforting meal that made the house smell amazing.  


You have to have a dutch oven with lid for this dish to help create a good seal.  I used as much garlic as it calls for but I did remove the skins.  I used Jimmy's Food Market's ready-made pizza dough, which is the best there is in Dallas.  Serve with some country bread, which is good for spreading with the sweet garlic and dunking into the savory cooking broth.  This one pot meal was so unique and delicious, I look forward to making this again soon.

This recipe is courtesy of the Wall Street Journal. The source is Dorie Greenspan (a cookbook author based in New York), WSJ, Dec. 4-5, 2010.

1/2  preserved lemon
1 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
5 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
2  large sweet potatoes, cut into 8 same-sized pieces
16  small white onions, yellow onions or shallots
8  carrots, trimmed, peeled, and quartered
4  celery stalks, trimmed, peeled, and quartered
4  garlic heads, cloves separated but not peeled
salt and pepper to taste
3 sprigs thyme
3 sprigs parsley
2 sprigs rosemary
1 chicken, about 4 lbs, whole or cut into 8 pieces, at room temperature
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 package pizza dough

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 450 degrees.
2. Using a paring knife, slice the peel from the preserved lemon and cut it into small squares. Discard the pulp.
3. Bring the water and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan, drop in the peel, and cook for 1 minute. Drain and set aside.
4. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the vegetables and garlic, season with salt and pepper and saute until vegetables are brown on all sides. (If necessary do this in 2 batches.) Spoon vegetables into a 4.5 to 5 quart Dutch oven and stir in herbs and the preserved lemon.
5. Return the skillet to the heat and add another tablespoon of olive oil. Brown the chicken on all sides, seasoning it with salt and pepper as it cooks.
6. Tuck chicken into the Dutch oven, surrounding it with vegetables.
7. Mix together the broth, wine, and the remaining olive oil and pour over the chicken and vegetables.
8. Place dough on the rim of the pot- if it breaks, just piece it back together- and press the lid onto the dough to seal the pot.
9. Slide the pot into the oven and bake for 55 minutes.