If you’re new to milk-braising, it’s worth mentioning that the resulting sauce usually isn’t pretty – during the braise, the milk looks almost curdled. But what it lacks in looks it more than makes up for in flavour. In milk-braising, the milk caramelizes during cooking. By adding a little flour to the mix, you can coax out a smooth sauce and bring it together with an immersion blender. Serve alongside extra sauce and top chicken with fried sage leaves. Check out more of our One-Pot Mains.

A cast iron pot with a whole chicken covered in herbs and sauce

Milk-Braised Chicken

An easy one-pot dinner recipe for chicken in a creamy, flavourful milk-based sauce.

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Course Main Course

Servings 4

Ingredients

1 whole chicken 1.5–2 kg, excess skin trimmed
2½ tsp salt divided
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
8 cloves garlic peeled
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
3 cups warm milk
zest of 2 lemons
3 sprigs sage
1 bay leaf
2 tsp lemon juice
fried sage or rosemary leaves or a combination, to garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Sprinkle chicken with 2 tsp of the salt and the pepper; tie legs together with butcher’s twine. In Dutch oven or large heavy-bottom pot, heat oil over medium heat. Place chicken breast side down and brown all over, about 5 minutes per side. Turn off heat; remove chicken to platter, reserving fat.
Heat Dutch oven over low. Add garlic and fry, stirring, until golden all over; transfer to chicken platter. Sprinkle flour over remaining fat and stir to combine.
Increase heat to medium. Pour in milk in slow, steady stream, whisking constantly until smooth; bring to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in lemon zest, sage and bay leaf; nestle chicken into pot and cover with lid.
Cook in oven for 45 minutes. Increase heat to 425°F; remove lid and, using large spoon, baste chicken with milk mixture. Return to oven and cook until skin is golden, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove chicken to platter; discard sage and bay leaf, and skim off liquified fat if excessive. Using immersion blender, purée milk mixture; it should be the consistency of heavy cream. (Add water to thin if needed.) Stir in lemon juice. Check seasoning and adjust if needed. Serve sauce alongside chicken.