Roast Chicken Legs & Thighs with Garlic-Herb Cream Pan Sauce
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Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 220°C / 425°F. Pat the chicken absolutely dry with paper towels — dry skin = crisp skin. Season all over with 2 tsp kosher salt and 1 1/2 tsp black pepper.
- 2
Heat a large ovenproof skillet or roasting pan over high heat. Add 2 tbsp olive oil. When shimmering, place chicken skin-side down — work in batches if needed. Sear until deep golden and fat renders, 6–8 minutes. Do not move it; let the skin colour properly.
- 3
Flip chicken briefly (30–60 seconds) just to set the underside, then transfer the whole skillet to the oven. Roast at 220°C / 425°F for 25–30 minutes, until internal temp reaches 74°C / 165°F and skin is crisp. Remove chicken to a warm plate and tent loosely with foil to rest.
- 4
While chicken rests, pour off excess fat from the pan leaving about 1–2 tbsp fat. Place the pan back on medium heat. Add 2 tbsp butter. When foaming, add the sliced onion and mushrooms. Season with a pinch of salt. Sauté until mushrooms brown and onions are soft, 6–8 minutes.
- 5
Add the smashed garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant — don’t burn it. Sprinkle in dried rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil and parsley flakes; stir to wake the herbs for 20 seconds.
- 6
Deglaze with 1/2 cup white wine or chicken stock, scraping the browned bits off the pan — those bits are flavour. Reduce by about half, 2–3 minutes.
- 7
Lower heat and stir in 1 1/2 cups heavy cream and 1 tbsp Dijon mustard. Simmer gently until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, 4–6 minutes. Taste and balance with 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1–2 tsp sugar if it needs softening, and more salt/pepper to taste.
- 8
Return the rested chicken to the pan, spoon sauce over the pieces. Heat for 1–2 minutes to marry flavours — do not boil hard or the cream will split.
- 9
Finish with chopped parsley (or a sprinkle of dried parsley) and a final crack of black pepper. Serve immediately with mashed potatoes, polenta, or buttered pasta to soak up that sauce.
