Creamy Potato Bake and Crispy Rotisserie Flavoured Chicken

You can cook Creamy Potato Bake and Crispy Rotisserie Flavoured Chicken in one wide pan. Bone-in thighs roast directly over a milk-simmered Potato Gratin. Throughout the 350°F (180°C) baking time, rendered fat from the poultry drips onto the starchy rounds below, flavoring and crisping those layers.

Choosing the potatoes

When exposed to heat, starchy potatoes break down and pull in the milk and savory juices to form a creamy base. Russet, red delight, King Edwards, and Dutch creams are excellent choices for this step. Standard all-rounder varieties function just as well, meaning you can easily use coliban, Sebago, golden delight, and red rascal potatoes.

Remove the skins and cut the potatoes into 1/8-inch (0.3 cm) disks. Whenever adding extra potatoes to the skillet, simply extend their stovetop simmering phase. Giving a deeper layer of slices this head start ensures the gratin will finish roasting simultaneously with the meat.

Searing the meat

The dish starts with a rotisserie-style Spice Rub. You mix garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and dried thyme together. You rub this blend heavily over the chicken thighs.

The skillet goes on the stove first. You place the seasoned chicken into the hot oil with the skin-side facing down. You leave the pieces alone for ten minutes. The heat melts the fat out of the skin and makes the exterior crisp.

You remove the meat and pour the excess liquid fat into a container. You do not wipe or wash the pan. The dark roasted pieces stuck to the metal hold the spices from the rub. You sauté the sliced onion and crushed garlic right in those pan drippings.

Building the gratin

You pour the milk into the hot skillet. You need to scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula while the liquid simmers. The action lifts the browned bits from the metal and mixes them straight into the sauce.

You assemble the Potato Gratin in two distinct layers. You arrange half the sliced potatoes in the liquid. You scatter the salt, pepper, and half the grated parmesan cheese over them. You stack the second half of the potatoes on top and add the rest of the milk and cheese.

You press the stacked potatoes down firmly into the simmering sauce. The pressure helps the slices cook evenly on the stove.

Baking in a single pan

The recipe requires a large oven-safe skillet. A small pan forces you to cover the entire potato layer with the chicken. The gratin surface needs exposed areas around the meat so the cheese can turn brown in the oven.

If you do not own a sufficiently large skillet, you can start the recipe on the stove. You assemble the potato layers in your pan. You then transfer the simmering potatoes and the seared chicken into a preheated baking pan for the oven phase.

You set the chicken thighs directly on top of the stacked potatoes. The whole pan goes into the oven for 40 to 50 minutes. The direct heat finishes cooking the meat while the juices drip down into the gratin.

Modifying for chicken breasts

You can use chicken breasts instead of bone-in thighs. White meat dries out much faster than dark meat in the oven. You bake the potatoes by themselves for thirty minutes first. You then add the chicken breasts for the final twenty minutes.

Because white meat lacks the natural fat found in thighs, you will need to slice a small opening in the meat. Insert the seasoning and a little olive oil directly into that space before searing the pieces on the stove.

Resting and leftovers

The skillet comes out of the oven when the meat cooks through. You must leave the pan alone for five minutes before serving. The brief rest helps the hot milk and juices settle back into the potatoes.

You can keep the cooled leftovers in the refrigerator for up to four days. Store the food in an airtight container.