Sear-Roasted Chicken Pieces with Quick Lemon Pan Sauce

As you can probably tell, I love roast chicken. I've already posted a couple of different ways to roast chicken pieces on the grill. But, when I was working on my White Chicken Chili recipe* I realized that I hadn't posted this method, which is the one I use when I don't feel like grilling.
*The white chicken chili recipe is coming, I promise.

The searing step gives this chicken recipe the crispiest skin I can make - except maybe for rotisserie chicken on a charcoal grill. As a bonus, if you use all thighs, or cut chicken breast pieces in half, you can be done in about 45 minutes, which qualifies as an ambitious weeknight dinner for me.

Recipe: Sear-Roasted Chicken Pieces with Quick Lemon Pan Sauce 

Ingredients:

• 3 to 4 lbs chicken pieces (Breasts, Thighs, Legs, Drumsticks all work)
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup chicken stock or water
• Zest and Juice of ½ of a lemon

Directions:
1. Prep the chicken: Liberally salt and pepper the chicken pieces. Preheat oven to 375F. Heat the oil a 12" skillet (NOT nonstick) over medium-high heat, until shimmering and just starting to show wisps of smoke.



2. Cook the chicken: Put the chicken pieces in the skillet, skin side down, and cook until the skin is well browned, about 5-8 minutes. Flip the chicken, and cook the other side until lightly browned, about 2-3 minutes. Drain any excess fat out of the pan, then put the pan in the preheated oven and cook until the chicken is 160F in breasts, or 170F in thighs, about 10 minutes (thighs, halved breasts) to 20 minutes (whole breasts), depending on the size of the pieces. Remove the chicken to a plate.

3. Make a pan sauce from the drippings: If there's more than a teaspoon or two of fat left in the pan, pour it out (try to save any chicken juices if they're still there.)  Put the pan back over medium heat (be careful with the handle- it will be rocket hot).  Wait until the drippings start to sizzle, then add the garlic and saute until just fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil, and boil, scraping the pan to loosen the browned chicken drippings into the sauce. Boil until reduced by half, 3-5 minutes. Add any juices on the plate with the chicken, then remove from the heat, and add the lemon zest and juice to the pan. Stir to combine, taste for seasoning (it should be highly seasoned - add salt and pepper if necessary), and serve on the side with the chicken.

Variations:
For the sauce: replace the garlic with some diced shallot

*The sauce isn't a recipe, it's the starting point for an infinite variety of sauces.  This is a great use for homemade chicken or turkey stock, but even a sauce made out of a cup of water and some salt tastes good, if you use it to deglaze the fond in the pan*.  And...you're going to have to clean the pan out somehow; why not make a sauce out of the tasty drippings that get left behind by roasting?
*Look at me, bringing out the big gun cooking terms!  Don't make me drop some cooking French on you!


Inspiration:
Cook's Illustrated Pan Roasted Chicken recipe
Pam Anderson's How to Cook Without a Book