Test kitchen: Jamie Oliver’s Chicken in Milk

A recipe so easy with results so rewarding it almost makes one feel guilty of having committed kitchen fraud.

I’ve been a fan of Jamie Oliver since I started cooking – back in those days when he was better known as the Naked Chef. Some memorable recipes I’ve loved included Sheila’s pudding, his Fantastic Fish Pie, which remains a fixture in our home, and that Cajun Spice Rub slathered on chicken and lamb still has us licking our fingers every time.

Jamie Oliver’s Chicken in Milk

I’ve come across this Chicken in Milk recipe on numerous occasions but hadn’t had a chance to attempt it at home, until today, when I was wondering what to do with the pints of milk in our fridge on the precipice of it’s best before date. I was very very pleased with the outcome – it’s like stew and roast all rolled into one, with the meat falling off the bone. The best part about this recipe is that it’s made in the one pot/roasting dish, with results so rewarding it almost makes one feel guilty of committing kitchen fraud.

Verdict: 10/10

The recipe is readily available online, and it’s also below, with my notes/variations.

Ingredients

Approximately 1.5kg chicken (mine was closer to 2kg)
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
0.5 stick of cinnamon (I used a whole stick)
1 good handful fresh sage , leaves picked
Zest of 2 lemons (a vegetable peeler works great for this)
10 cloves of garlic with skins on
565ml milk

Method

Preheat oven to 190°C, and find a snug-fitting pot/roasting dish for the chicken.

Season generously all over, and brown in a little olive oil, turning the chicken to get an even colour all over, until golden. Remove from the heat, set the chicken aside, and discard the oil left in the pot/roasting dish.

Place the chicken back in the pot/roasting dish with the rest of the ingredients, and cook in the preheated oven for 1½ hours (lid off).

Baste the chicken occasionally with the cooking juice, and don’t worry if the milk looks like it’s split or curdled – it’s supposed to be that way.

When it’s done, the chicken should be nice and golden brown on top with the meat pretty much falling off the bone.

Serve with copious amounts of sauce left in the dish, accompanied by your choice of greens and mash.