Chicken Vesuvio

Step 1

Brine the chicken:

Step 2

In a large container or pot, add 1 quart hot water to the container and stir to dissolve the salt and sugar. Add the remaining 3 quarts cold water with the remaining ingredients. Submerge the chicken pieces in the brine and cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 5 hours.

Step 3

Prepare the vegetables:

Step 4

Remove the stem from the mushrooms and discard. Quickly and gently plunge the mushroom tops into a large amount of cold water to rinse. Drain the water. Repeat for a total of 3 times, replenishing each time with fresh clean water. Lay the cleaned morel tops on a tray lined with clean towels to dry.

Step 5

In a saute pan, heat the butter over medium heat cooking until foamy. Add the shallot to quickly sweat, cooking no more than 1 minute. Add the cleaned morels mushrooms and saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Season with kosher salt. Add the white wine, mixing to deglaze the pan, and cook until the alcohol is gone. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and set aside in a bowl.

Step 6

Meanwhile, set up a pot of salted boiling water, along with a salted ice bath on the side. Working in batches, separately blanch the spring onion, pea shoots, snap peas, English peas and asparagus by placing into the boiling water, and cooking until a bright color and just about tender. Immediately place into the ice bath just to stop the cooking process, cooling for no longer than 1 minute. Remove the blanched vegetables from the ice bath and dry.

Step 7

Cut the spring onions and pea shoots into quarters. Cut the asparagus and snap peas on a bias into 1/4-inch pieces. Set all the vegetables aside, keeping them all in separate bowls.

Step 8

Make the Chicken Vesuvio:

Step 9

Thirty minutes before cooking, remove the chicken from its marinade and dry thoroughly on paper towels. Heat the oven to 425 F. Place a wire rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet.

Step 10

Reserve 1 tablespoon chopped garlic to the side. In a small skillet, combine the remaining garlic, 1/3 cup olive oil and chili flakes, and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the garlic begins to sizzle and turn very light golden at the edges. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to infuse the chili-garlic oil.

Step 11

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat and add olive oil. Place the chicken, skin-side down, and cook, working in batches. Cook until evenly golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Place the seared chicken on the prepared tray with a rack, skin-side up. Once all the chicken is browned, bake in the oven, cooking until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the breasts and legs read 160 F.

Step 12

While the chicken bakes, in a separate saucepan over medium heat, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil. Add the diced pancetta and cook until the pancetta is golden brown and the fat has been rendered.

Step 13

Add the reserved teaspoon of chopped garlic and cook to sweat, making sure not to gain any color.

Step 14

Add blanched spring onions and cook for 1 minute. Add the sauteed morels and oregano, and cook for 1 minute. Add the white wine, mixing to deglaze the pan, and cook until the alcohol is gone.

Step 15

Add the chicken stock and reduce slightly until a saucy consistency, approximately reducing by a quarter amount. Once the sauce is reduced, add the butter and stir until emulsified.

Step 16

Add the remaining blanched vegetables, cooking just to heat through, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from heat and add the parsley. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Step 17

Remove the chicken from the oven, and quickly brush the reserved chili-garlic oil all over the skin. Heat the broiler to high and broil the chicken to lightly crisp the skin, about 30 seconds.

Step 18

On the serving plate, place half of the sauteed vegetables and sauce first. Cut the chicken breast in half. Plate all pieces of chicken on top of the vegetables. Top with the remaining vegetables and sauce to finish.