I first prepared this for my husband to bring on a weekend of skiing for men. He preferred a pasta salad with taco meat and cheese rather than a “girlie” version. Very filling and popular with all the guys. Since I took it to a family gathering, they now ask for it every year.
| Prep Time: | 30 mins |
| Cook Time: | 20 mins |
| Total Time: | 50 mins |
| Servings: | 2 |
| Yield: | 2 airline chicken breasts |
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken
- 1 drizzle olive oil
- kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 2 pinches herbes de Provence, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- ½ cup chicken stock, or to taste
Instructions
- Slice off 1/2 of each chicken wing by cutting through the joint where wing meets drumette. Slice through skin between thighs and breasts. Make a shallow cut along breast bone and 2 deep cuts on either side, separating breasts.
- Slice each breast off the carcass using the tip of the knife, keeping the blade pressed against bone. Cut through cartilage to remove breast with wing attached. Reserve remaining chicken and carcass for another use.
- Remove tenders from breasts and trim as needed. Season tenders with a drizzle of olive oil, kosher salt, black pepper, herbes de Provence, and cayenne pepper.
- Push your finger gently under skin of each breast, right next to wing bone, to separate it from meat. Slide 1 tender under skin, center it, and smooth over skin. Sprinkle kosher salt over breasts.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts, skin-side down. Cook until the bottom is browned, 6 to 7 minutes. Flip, reduce heat to medium, and cook until no longer pink on the inside and the juices run clear, 7 to 10 minutes more. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
- Add 1 tablespoon butter, thyme, and rosemary to the skillet. Baste chicken with butter-herb mixture. Remove chicken from the skillet.
- Pour stock into the skillet; increase heat to high. Boil until reduced to desired thickness, about 2 minutes. Turn off heat and whisk remaining 2 tablespoons butter into sauce.
- Slice each chicken breast into thirds and spoon sauce on top.
- Feel free to use whatever spices and seasoning you wish since that will not affect the technique. To prep the chicken ahead of time, cover it in plastic wrap and refrigerate after seasoning.
- You’re usually told to cook chicken to 165 degrees F (74 degrees C), but I usually stop at 150 degrees F (66 degrees C) for more tender results.
- Nutrition data for this recipe includes the full amount of chicken. The amount consumed will vary.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 1122 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 8 g |
| Cholesterol | 337 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 g |
| Protein | 94 g |
| Saturated Fat | 27 g |
| Sodium | 777 mg |
| Sugars | 0 g |
| Fat | 79 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
Great receipt, easily made using the video.
Made with skinless, boneless chicken breast and it was delicious!
I didn’t have whole chicken, just bone in breasts with skin that I bought on sale. I boned the breasts, followed the directions for inserting the tender and this turned out great! Very moist and not dry, just like it says. Highly recommend, especially if you can get a deal on chicken breast with the bone.
It was amazing, thanks chef John, now I want to try and finish it in the oven.
Definitely watch the video…. I watched after the fact and butchered my first chicken lol ! But the video makes it clear, simple and is VERY entertaining. Love this recipe as is .
Literally the best chicken I’ve ever eaten! Not sure if it was due to the high quality chicken I bought from the butcher or due to Chef John’s pan sauce method, but it was amazing. Give it a try!
I used two bone in chicken breasts, removed the bones (didn’t have the wing drumette part). EVOO, S&P and parsley flakes. After frying on both sides, had to put in 350 oven ’til it got to temp (maybe 10 minutes?). Very good, but I could not fry them until done, they would have been burnt. Made a pan sauce with chicken broth and butter.
Absolutely delicious. Easy to make. Perfectly seasoned. Just loved. Will because a family standard. I , however, bought my chicken from a local chicken farm already cut up.
Absolutely delicious. Easy to make. Perfectly seasoned. Just loved. Will because a family standard. I , however, bought my chicken from a local chicken farm already cut up.
All I can say is AWESOME you have to try this one.
Best ever and I’m a roast chicken nut. Chef John made carving the Frenched ( Airline ) cut from the whole chicken look simple, but, clutz that I am, I struggled with it. I’ll keep at it though. Besides the taste, the presentation is awesome.
Best ever and I’m a roast chicken nut. Chef John made carving the Frenched ( Airline ) cut from the whole chicken look simple, but, clutz that I am, I struggled with it. I’ll keep at it though. Besides the taste, the presentation is awesome.
Tasteful dish. It’s a keeper. Make soup from the rest of the chicken.
I used a poultry seasoning that had all the spices suggested by your chef. Yes I saved the recipe to use again.
I will make it again.
I just used a bone in chicken breast and did not cut my own. Followed the recipe, was delicious! Will absolutely make it again! I love chef John!
Can honestly say this one came out looking (and hopefully tasting) just like it shows in the video. Only change was to use Italian seasoning in place of herbs de Provence since I had none. I highly suggest watching the video to understand the technique of removing the breast, the directions are confusing at best and also omit the vinegar he uses to emulsify the pan sauce. I used a heavy aluminum pan to get a nice sear on the skin, cooked to 160 and it was juicy and perfect!
I suggest you watch the video first. The recipe calls for a whole uncooked chicken and shows how to cut the breast to make this dish. Of course , then you will have the rest of the chicken to use for another purpose. Use your finger to loosen the skin on the breast.
I suggest you watch the video first. The recipe calls for a whole uncooked chicken and shows how to cut the breast to make this dish. Of course , then you will have the rest of the chicken to use for another purpose. Use your finger to loosen the skin on the breast.
I’ve been purchasing the cut from the chef at our county club for the past several months. It’s my favorite cut of chicken. I reduce chicken stock and add 1/2 cup dry white wine to pan sauce. Makes a beautiful presentation at a dinner party. I will add cayenne next time. Thanks for bringing Back my favorite cut of chicken!
Call me crazy but I love airline food! Great and simple recipe. Thanks.