Grilled Chicken with Café de Paris Butter Sauce

An institution on Stockholm’s Birger Jarlsgatan, Riche delivers the quintessential brasserie experience where crackling-skinned roast poultry meets uncompromised French technique. The magic lies in resting succulent, blistered chicken directly in an aromatic pool of melted Café de Paris butter—rich with savory shallots, tarragon, Dijon, and umami-packed anchovy. Every bite carries a shatter of crisp skin softened just slightly by the warm, herbed velvet beneath.

The Bistro Recipe

Golden, blistered half chicken inspired by Riche in Stockholm, served atop a generous pool of glossy, aromatic Café de Paris butter sauce with crisp roasted potatoes.

Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 40 mins

Total Time 60 mins

Servings 2

Method Sear & Roast

Scale

1x 2x 3x

Units

US Metric

Ingredients

The Chicken

• 3.3 lb whole chicken, split into halves, backbone removed
• 1 tbsp neutral oil or olive oil
• Flaky sea salt & freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Café de Paris Butter Sauce

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 piece shallot, minced very fine
• 2 cloves garlic, finely grated
• 2 pieces anchovy fillets in oil, finely mashed
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp fresh tarragon, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 0.5 tsp mild curry powder
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Instructions

1. 1
   Dry and Season

   Pat chicken skin completely bone-dry. Season all sides generously with sea salt and cracked pepper.

2. 2
   Whip Compound Butter

   Whisk room-temperature butter with shallots, garlic, anchovies, Dijon, Worcestershire, herbs, curry powder, and lemon juice until pale and fluffy.

3. 3
   Sear the Skin

   Heat oil in a heavy ovenproof skillet over medium-high. Lay chicken skin-side down until deep golden and crackling, about 6 minutes.

4. 4
   Roast Through

   Flip chicken skin-side up and roast at 200°C (400°F) until internal temperature reaches 74°C (165°F), about 25–30 minutes.

5. 5
   Gently Melt Sauce

   While chicken rests, warm the compound butter in a saucepan over bare low heat, swirling until glossy, liquid, and warm. Never boil.

6. 6
   Plate the Bistro Way

   Pour the warm, golden butter sauce generously onto wide shallow bowls. Rest roasted chicken right in the center; serve immediately with fries.

Chef's Secret for the Sauce

Do not let the Café de Paris butter sauce boil when melting. Keep the heat very low and whisk gently off the heat so the butter relaxes into a silky, emulsified sauce rather than separating into clear clarified fat.

Bistro Pairing: Morgon Cru Beaujolais or an unoaked Chablis Premier Cru to cut through the rich, herb-laced butter.

More inspiration from Riche

Riche

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