Quick Chicken in Milk Recipe by Jamie Oliver
Ingredients
- 1 whole free-range chicken (approx 1.5 kg / 3.3 lb)
- Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Olive oil or unsalted butter (for sautéing)
- ½ stick of cinnamon
- 1 handful of fresh sage leaves
- Peel of 2 lemons (a vegetable peeler avoids the bitter pith)
- 10 unpeeled cloves of garlic
- About 565 ml (just over a pint) of whole milk
Instructions
Preheat & Prep
- The oven is fine at 190°C/375°F/gas 5. Dry the chicken with kitchen paper and season the inside and outside generously with salt and pepper.
Brown the Bird
- In a snug-fitting casserole pot or Dutch oven, pour in a glug of olive oil or a knob of butter and heat over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken on all sides, until they are all a glorious deep gold — this also builds layers of flavor in the end.
Drain & Add Flavors
- Tip off any excess oil or butter, leaving just a spoonful in the pot. I usually add the cinnamon stick, sage leaves, lemon zest, and garlic cloves. Gently pour in the milk. Don’t be alarmed if it looks a bit separated while it’s cooking — that’s by design; it should curdle into a luscious sauce.
Slow & Steady in the Oven
- Put a lid on the pot and place it in the preheated oven for about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Halfway through, take off the lid to let the chicken’s top brown a little and the sauce tighten up.
Rest & Serve
- When the chicken is cooked through (the juices run clear and a meat thermometer reads at least 75°C/165°F in the thickest part), take it out of the oven. Rest for 10-15 minutes, then carve. Serve with the curdled-milk sauce spooned liberally over the meat, with veg, mashed potatoes, or a simple green salad.You’ll end up with juicy, fragrant meat and a sauce so good you’ll want to lap it up with a spoon. I always turn to this Classic Jamie Oliver Chicken in Milk Recipe when I want to impress guests with minimal work.