Chicken Sautéed with Butter

The amount of butter in this recipe often puts off cooks and guests, but very little of it is actually
absorbed by the chicken. In fact, if you measure both the fat that goes into the dish and the fat
that comes out, you will discover more fat comes out. That’s because the butter causes the fat in
the skin to render and liquefy. And even though very little butter is absorbed, the chicken has an
intensely buttery flavor because the proteins in the butter cling to the skin and flavor it. Many
guests have declared this simple dish the best chicken they have ever eaten. If you are dead set
against the butter, substitute olive oil.
he amount of butter in this recipe often puts off cooks and guests, but very little of it is actually

MAKES 4 MAIN-COURSE SERVINGS

One 4-pound chicken
Salt
Pepper
4 tablespoons butter or pure olive oil
Cut up the chicken and season the pieces on both sides with salt and pepper.
In a skillet just large enough to hold the chicken, heat the butter over medium to high heat. Put
the chicken pieces, skin side down, in the pan and cook for about 12 minutes, or until the skin is
golden brown. Turn the pieces over and cook for about 7 minutes longer, or until the thighs and
breasts are firm to the touch. Serve immediately.

VARIATIONS

Nearly every country in the world has simple sautéed chicken recipes such as this one. European recipes, especially French ones, tell you to pour out and discard the fat in the pan, and then put together some kind of sauce or garnish in the pan used to cook the chicken. This makes sense if you have used a traditional pan (not nonstick), which will have savory juices clinging to it. But if you have used a nonstick pan, there will be no clinging juices, so you can just as easily put together a sauce or garnish in another pan or saucepan while the chicken is cooking.