Elevated Russian Chicken Recipe
Prep Time:
10 minutes
Cook Time:
1 hour
Servings:
4 Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 (2 ½ to 3 pound) whole chicken, halved
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 tablespoon salted butter
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
  • ¼ cup minced yellow onion
  • ¼ cup red wine
  • ¼ cup cognac or brandy
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 2 tablespoons apricot jam
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 1 cup dried apricot halves
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  2. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and tuck the wings behind the breasts (for better searing).
  3. Season the chicken with salt.
  4. Heat olive oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat.
  5. Once hot, add the chicken halves, skin side-down, and sear for 5 to 8 minutes or until the skin is golden and crisp.
  6. Flip the chicken and sear for 3 minutes on the other side.
  7. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
  8. Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter to the skillet.
  9. Once the butter has melted, add the garlic and onion to the skillet and saute for 2 minutes.
  10. Deglaze the skillet with the wine and cognac, whisk to combine, and bring to a simmer.
  11. Cook, whisking occasionally, until the wine and cognac have almost completely evaporated.
  12. Add the tomato paste, vinegar, broth, jam, Worcestershire, horseradish, and paprika to the skillet, and whisk to combine.
  13. Once the sauce is simmering, add the apricots, and stir to combine.
  14. Return the chicken halves to the skillet, skin side-up, nestling into the sauce.
  15. Cover the skillet with foil and place in the oven.
  16. Bake for 20 minutes, remove the foil, and return to the oven for another 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
  17. Once cooked, remove the chicken from the skillet, and set aside to rest for 5 minutes. Whisk or stir the sauce to incorporate the chicken drippings.
  18. To serve, place the chicken on a serving platter, and top with the sauce and apricots.
  19. Garnish with fresh dill and parsley and serve the Russian chicken.