Sauteed Chicken with Peas à la Française

Lately, I’ve been into cooking chicken at home. This past weekend, while in Sag Harbor, I bought some fresh peas and fava beans at the market. I sautéed a small bird and made peas à la Française, a classic French preparation, with onion, bacon and chicken stock. So delicious. 

The dish comes together quickly for a couple of reasons, starting with the size of the chicken. A  cornish hen weighs about 1.5 pounds, which means it cooks in about half the time of a regular chicken. Second, while the chicken is sauteing in one pan, you can cook the peas and favas in another. The two steps can be done simultaneously, meaning dinner is ready in less than 30 minutes.

Let’s start with the chicken. If you have kitchen shears at home, you can easily butterfly the hen yourself. Just cut out the backbone and open up the bird. (If you’ve got a good butcher, you can ask them to do it for you.)

I brush the skin side with Dijon mustard. Not only does this add a lot of flavor, it also creates a nice crust. To saute the bird, I always use grapeseed oil, which has a high smoke point. Because cornish hens are small, I’m able to do the entire dish on the stove top; I don’t need to finish it in the oven. 

For the peas and favas, which I cook in a separate pan, I do two things that help give the dish its character. First, I barely cover the peas with chicken stock and I bring them to a simmer,  with the top off. Second, I add a spoonful of Dijon to the stock just before serving. I want to have a creamy texture, but I don’t want to use crème fraîche or heavy cream. 

Oh, one more thing. The chicken should take about 25 minutes to cook. It's easy to tell when it’s done—just take a chef’s fork and pierce the bird through the leg joint. If the juice runs clear, the chicken is cooked. If the juice is still a little bit red, keep cooking it for another minute or two.  

And that’s it. You’ve made butterflied cornish hen with peas à la française. Weeknight chicken, but better.

Sauteed Chicken with Peas à la Française

Serves 2

1 cornish hen

4 cloves of garlic, skin on

Grapeseed oil

Salt and pepper

Herbs de Provence (encouraged, but not essential)
Dry white wine

1 red onion, minced

1-2 strips of good bacon, julienned

1 cup peas (frozen peas work, too)

1 cup fava beans

Fresh oregano

Chicken stock

Remove the backbone of the cornish hen with a pair of kitchen shears (see photo). Save backbone for stock.

Season the hen on both sides with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the meat side with herbs de provence. Brush the skin side with Dijon mustard. 

In a large, non-stick skillet, heat a few tablespoons of grapeseed oil over a medium flame for a minute or two. Gently lay the hen into the pan, skin side down. It should sizzle when it hits the pan (if it doesn’t, let the pan heat up some more before adding the chicken). Toss in a few cloves of garlic. Cook for about 16 minutes undisturbed till the skin is nicely browned. Flip the bird, turn the heat down slightly, and cook for about another 10 minutes. To test when done, pierce with a fork or knife in the leg joint. The juice should run clear. If it doesn’t, cook for another few minutes. 

Remove the chicken to a plate to let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes, while you finish the peas.

In the same pan, add a couple tablespoons of minced red onion and a pinch of flour. Cook for a minute. Pour in about ¼ cup of white wine, after about 30 seconds while it is simmering, add a splash of chicken stock or water and stir. Finish with a pat of butter. Swirl in and remove from heat. 

Meanwhile, in a separate pan over medium heat, add a couple tablespoons of oil, and add 2 tablespoons of minced onion and bacon. Once the bacon has released its fat but not yet crisp, add the peas and cover with chicken stock. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 7 minutes. Add fava beans and cook a couple minutes more. Add a sprig of oregano, cook for a minute, and then stir in a dollop of Dijon and a pat of butter. Remove from heat.

To plate, cut the bird in two and then separate the leg from the breast. Spoon the pea mixture into each plate, and then place the chicken parts atop it. Spoon the pan sauce reduction over the chicken.