3 of Ina Garten’s Best Chicken Dishes From ‘Modern Comfort Food’
A Barefoot Contessa cookbook isn’t really, well, a Barefoot Contessa cookbook without at least a few chicken dishes. Ina Garten is known for them. They’re as much a staple in her cookbooks as they are on Friday nights for her and her longtime husband, Jeffrey Garten.
After more than a dozen cookbooks (Garten’s latest is Go-To Dinners), needless to say, she’s developed many different ways to serve chicken. When it comes to Modern Comfort Food, her 2020 cookbook, there are a few chicken dishes that stand out among the rest. These are some of the best chicken dishes from Garten in Modern Comfort Food.
‘Modern Comfort Food’ chicken: Chicken Pot Pie Soup
Three words, puff pastry croutons. Is there anything more to say as to why Garten’s Chicken Pot Pie Soup is one of the best chicken dishes from Modern Comfort Food?
Normally, the answer would be no, but this is, after all, Garten. The puff pastry croutons, served in fun shapes, are a fun addition to make the soup a little more special.
And, yes, the ingredient list is long. 17 ingredients for the soup alone. But Garten’s Chicken Pot Pie is worth it. Make it on a lazy Sunday and prepare to be wowed.
‘Modern Comfort Food’ chicken: Ina Garten’s Skillet Roasted Chicken and Potatoes
Garten’s Skillet Roasted Chicken and Potatoes is her Modern Comfort Food version of a weeknight dinner. “If you marinate the chicken in the morning, it takes no time to cook when you get home from work, and the skillet can go from the oven directly to the table,” she said in the cookbook.
So why is it one of the best chicken dishes from Modern Comfort Food? It’s the overall sense of ease that makes this one a winner. Garten puts everything in a cast-iron skillet meaning fewer dishes to do after dinner.
Then there’s the actual food prep. There’s not much to it all. Marinade the chicken, brush it with a wine and mustard mixture, and roast. And don’t bother peeling the potatoes before putting them in the skillet.
Further proof this is one of the best Modern Comfort Food chicken dishes is the fact that Garten once said skillet chicken’s better than her classic roast chicken.
‘Modern Comfort Food’ chicken: Crispy Chicken with Lemon Orzo from Ina Garten
Cook chicken breast the Italian way, in butter, with Garten’s Crispy Chicken with Lemon Orzo. As she explained in Modern Comfort Food, the Italian method of cooking chicken breast “al burro,” or in butter, inspired the dish.
It’s not a one-pot meal like the aforementioned Skillet Roasted Chicken and Potatoes. However, this is still the Barefoot Contessa, and it’s, on the whole, simple to make. What makes it a standout chicken dish is the wow factor, considering how easy it is to prepare.
One key component is using skin-on chicken breasts, the Be My Guest star’s trick for flavorful chicken. Another is making sure the chicken breasts are dry, so they get really crispy on the outside.
Lastly is European-style butter, which according to Garten, has less water and therefore is better for searing.
Whip up a batch of Lemon Orzo with Feta, serve it alongside the crispy chicken, and voilà, dinner’s ready.
