It’ summer. It’s hot. It’s humid. You need a satisfyingly flavorful, easy-to-cook, one-pan dinner. It’s Ukrainian Baked Chicken. This recipe derives from a years-ago listing in the New York Times, called Lazy Chicken—I guess because it takes so little effort to make. I made many alterations to that original recipe and renamed it Ukrainian Baked Chicken because it was originally a Ukrainian specialty.
The only problem with making this recipe in the summer is that it requires a very hot oven for nearly an hour. Fortunately, you don’t have to hang out and hover over the dish—just turn the chicken once or twice and retire to an air-conditioned room.If you are interested in learning about other Ukrainian dishes, click here.
To Go Directly to the Recipe, Click Here.
Preheat the oven to 500°, and place the rack in the upper third of the oven.
Cut the chicken into 8 pieces, discarding or freezing the backs and giblets for another use. If the breasts are very large, cut them in half, as well. Or use just chicken parts. Dry the chicken parts in paper towels, and arrange them in a large roasting pan.
Place the chicken in the pan.
Peel the small onions or shallots, and place whole in between the chicken parts. If using large yellow onions, cut them in quarters. It’s also very effective to mix the types of onions you use. as I have done here.
Peel the potatoes. If they are small place them whole in between the chicken parts, otherwise cut them in pieces.
Cut the carrots into chunks, splitting any large ends in half. Place them in between the chicken parts. The pan should be crowded, with all pieces sticking up so that they brown more thoroughly and evenly.
Spread vegetables among the chicken parts.
Mince the garlic and sprinkle over the chicken and vegetables. Tuck the sprigs of thyme in between the ingredients in the pan. Salt and pepper to taste.
Pour the wine and chicken stock over the ingredients, which should be covered at least in half, if not 2⁄3, by the liquids.
Cut the butter into small pieces, and dot the chicken and vegetables with it.
Bake for about 50-minutes to 1 hour, turning the chicken parts and vegetables occasionally so they brown evenly. Baste the chicken several times with the pan juices.
Remove the chicken from the oven, discard any burnt thyme sprigs, and drain the juices into a saucepan. The juices should have reduced by half. If not, do so now. If they have reduced by half, just boil a few minutes to intensify the flavors.
Reduce the pan juices.
This reduction of the pan juices is a strictly optional step, however it does make the dish more flavorful.
Pour the juices back over the chicken in the pan. Sprinkle the chopped parsley over the ingredients and serve the Ukrainian Baked Chicken directly from the pan.
