Pan-Roasted Chicken with Cognac Mustard Sauce + Anolon Giveaway

Eric and I will be celebrating our six year wedding anniversary next month, and that means we’ve had our current cookware for the same length of time. We had no idea then that our cookware would be used as frequently as it is or that we would be taking it through three out of state moves. If you were to take a peek at our saucepans and skillets, you would find them well used (that’s what happens when they’re used almost daily). The nonstick coating has begun to chip away, and it’s obvious what that cookware has been through in the six years since we received it.

One of the goodies I got from Big Summer Potluck last year was an Anolon “Everything Pan,” and Eric and I have used it so much in the almost year since we’ve had it. I hadn’t heard of Anolon before BSP, but I’ve been a fan of theirs since first cooking with that pan. So when Anolon contacted me to see if I’d like to review another piece of cookware and give one to a lucky reader, I jumped at the opportunity. Since I already knew how much we liked the Everything Pan, I decided to try another piece of cookware from the Nouvelle Copper Stainless Steel line, this time the 3 Quart Covered Sauté Pan. This pan is every bit as versatile as the Everything Pan, and it is quickly on its way to becoming the most used pan in our kitchen. It has high sides, which makes it perfect for pan-frying, sautéing a bunch of greens, making sauces (which are easier to pour thanks to the shape of the pan and the helper handle) and loads of other things. Like I said, it’s really versatile.

I was actually planning to make risotto in mine but ultimately decided to make a recipe that would involve testing it on the stovetop and in the oven, which is how I ended up at this recipe for pan-roasted chicken. It was the perfect way to test out our new pan because it involved searing, roasting and sauce making, all of which the sauté pan handled wonderfully. Since our family of three rarely needs an entire roast chicken, unless we’re planning to make something with the leftovers, we decided to change the recipe up a bit and use bone-in, skin-on breasts and thighs. The chicken is first seared to achieve a crispy skin and then roasted to finish cooking. Once it’s done roasting, shallot, cognac, Dijon mustard and fresh thyme come together in a simple but flavorful pan sauce. It takes just over 30 minutes of cook time for this to go from stovetop to table, something that obviously isn’t possible when roasting a whole chicken. We loved this meal, and Clara devoured the chicken. We made mashed potatoes (to soak up some of that wonderful pan sauce) and broccolini as sides, and it was the perfect Sunday dinner. We’ll be making it again soon, but not before we try a few other recipes in our new favorite pan.

Anolon has kindly offered to send one of you lucky readers a 3 Quart Covered Sauté Pan, so head on over to the giveaway page to enter! Full disclosure: This giveaway is sponsored by Anolon, and I received the same piece of cookware to review. All opinions are purely my own.