Best Braised Chicken Legs With Cheesy Polenta And Sauteed Greens Recipes
CHICKEN BRAISED IN TWO VINEGARS
In this satisfying weeknight recipe, boneless chicken thighs are cooked in best-quality balsamic and red wine vinegar and plenty of garlic, resulting in a pleasantly sticky agrodolce sauce. You could easily crisp some pancetta before the garlic hits the pan or stir in some anchovies right before you begin to braise. This dish can be made a day or two in advance and gently reheated with a splash of water or broth, but wait until right before serving to garnish it with the fresh herbs. (They'll lose their vibrant color otherwise.) Serve over polenta or rice pilaf.
Provided by Colu Henry
Categories dinner, weekday, poultry, main course
Time 30m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Season chicken well on both sides with salt and pepper. In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until it starts to become fragrant and lightly golden, about 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Begin cooking the chicken, making sure not to crowd the pan (you may need to do this in batches). Cook until the chicken is no longer pink on the outside and begins to lightly brown in spots, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. If it's not cooked through at this point, that's O.K.
- If you've cooked the chicken in batches, add all of the meat and any residual juices back to the pan. Pour in the vinegars, add reserved garlic and bring to a simmer. Turn heat to medium-low, cover and allow the meat to continue to cook in the sauce, about 5 to 7 minutes more.
- Uncover and toss chicken well in the vinegar sauce to coat. Cook chicken about 3 to 5 minutes more or until the sauce has reduced by about half and has thickened slightly. Sprinkle with parsley and oregano, if using, and season with flaky salt, if using. Serve in bowls over polenta or with rice pilaf and spoon the remaining sauce atop.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 377, UnsaturatedFat 11 grams, Carbohydrate 8 grams, Fat 16 grams, Fiber 0 grams, Protein 45 grams, SaturatedFat 3 grams, Sodium 699 milligrams, Sugar 5 grams, TransFat 0 grams
CHICKEN LEGS BRAISED WITH TOMATOES, ONIONS, AND GARLIC
Once the dish is assembled, braised chicken legs take less than an hour to cook, and they can be combined with almost any herbs, spices, and vegetables. Their meat is tender and succulent, their sauce concentrated and tasty. Legs are the best choice for a braise, but breasts may be included for those who prefer white meat. Just keep in mind that in order to remain tender and juicy, breasts need to cook for a much shorter time. Start by seasoning the legs with salt and pepper. If time allows, do this a day ahead. Leave the legs whole, or cut them through the joint to separate them into thighs and drumsticks. Brown them in a cast-iron or other heavy pan over medium heat, in a generous amount of oil, skin side down. Or for more flavor, use a mixture of oil and butter. It takes about 12 minutes to get the skin really crisp and golden brown. Take the time to do this or you will be disappointed in the end, because if there is only superficial color on the skin it will wash off in the braise, leaving the skin pale and unappetizing. Once the skin is browned, turn the pieces and cook briefly on the other side, about 4 minutes (there is no skin to crisp on this side and the meat will brown quickly). Remove the chicken legs from the pan and pour off the fat. Add wine, tomatoes, broth, or water to deglaze the pan, scraping up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Cook the aromatic vegetables in a bit of oil as directed or add them raw to the pan. Arrange the chicken legs, skin side up, on the vegetables, and pour in the deglazing juices and broth or water to come halfway up the sides of the legs. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer, cover the pan, and cook for 45 minutes. Or bake in a 325° F oven. When the chicken legs are cooked, remove them from the pan and discard any loose herb stems or bay leaves or bouquet garni (squeezing it first to extract any juices). Strain the juices into a small pan or bowl and skim off all the fat. Taste the sauce and add salt if needed. Reunite all the parts, plus any vegetables that have been cooked separately, and serve at once or reheat later. If there is too much sauce, reduce it to concentrate the flavors. The salt will concentrate, too, so don't add any more until the sauce has finished reducing. When braising chicken breasts, do not remove the skin or the bones; they both contribute flavor and help keep the meat moist and tender. Remove the first two joints of the wing by cutting through the joint. Leave the breasts whole or cut them in two so that the thicker wing portion is slightly smaller. Season and brown the breast pieces with the legs. Add the browned breasts with their resting juices to the pan after the legs have been cooking for 30 minutes. There is another method for braising chicken legs. The legs are cooked in the oven, covered, until tender and uncovered and browned at the end. This works especially well when cooking for a crowd, but is not suitable for breasts. Nestle the seasoned legs, skin side down, into the aromatic vegetables (cooked or not, as required by the recipe) with the herbs and spices. Pour in enough wine and stock or water to reach halfway up the legs. To save time, bring the stock to a boil before adding. Cover the dish tightly and bake in a 350°F oven for 40 minutes, or until the legs are tender. Uncover the dish and turn the legs over. If the liquid is so deep it covers the legs, pour enough off to fully expose the skin and reserve it for later. Return the legs to the oven, uncovered, and cook until they are golden brown on top, about 20 minutes. Skim the sauce and serve as above.
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Season, the day before if possible: 4 chicken legs with Salt and fresh-ground black pepper. Heat a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add: 2 tablespoons olive oil.
- Place the chicken legs into the pan skin side down and cook until crisp and brown, about 12 minutes. Turn and cook for another 4 minutes. Remove the chicken and add: 2 onions, sliced thick (or diced large).
- Cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add and cook for 2 minutes: 4 garlic cloves, sliced thin, 1 bay leaf, 1 small rosemary sprig.
- Add and cook for 5 minutes, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan: 4 tomatoes, diced coarse, or 1 small (12-ounce) can organic whole tomatoes, diced (including juice).
- Arrange the chicken in the pan, skin side up, and pour in any juices that have collected. Pour in: 1 cup chicken broth.
- The liquid should reach halfway up the chicken; add more if needed. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer. Cover and cook at a bare simmer or in a 325°F oven for 45 minutes. When done, pour the braising liquid into a small bowl and skim the fat. Discard the bay leaf and rosemary. Taste for salt and adjust as needed. Return to the pan and serve.
- Before adding the tomatoes to the onions add 1/3 cup dry white wine and reduce by half.
- Garnish with 1 tablespoon chopped parsley mixed with 1 garlic clove chopped fine.
- Substitute 2 breasts for 2 of the legs. Brown them, but do not add them to the braise until the legs have been cooking for 30 minutes.
- Use basil, oregano, or marjoram instead of rosemary.
BRAISED CHICKEN WITH SPICY GREENS
Steps:
- To prepare the chicken: The day before serving, season the chicken legs well with salt and pepper. Refrigerate overnight.
- The next day, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Saute the carrot, celery, and onion in the butter and oil. Caramelize lightly, then deglaze the pan with the brandy. Transfer to the bottom of an ovenproof pan that will just hold the chicken legs. Arrange the legs skin side up. Add the bay leaves, garlic, peppercorns, and chicken stock. The bottom half of the meat should be immersed in the liquid, but the skin should be exposed. Braise on the top rack of the oven, checking after 45 minutes, until the meat is tender and the skin crispy.
- Before serving, pour off some of the braising liquid with the vegetables. Degrease the liquid and reduce by a third. Taste as it is reducing to ensure that the salt doesn't intensify too much. If it is too salty, add a little plain reduced stock. Finish with the parsley.
- To prepare the greens: Lightly brown the onion in the oil and the butter. Chop the greens into manageable pieces and saute slowly until wilted. Add a little water to prevent sticking if necessary. When the greens are cooked through, add the anchovy and garlic and cook a minute more. Turn off the heat and season with salt, pepper, cayenne, and lemon juice.
- Serve the braised chicken with the greens.
CAL PETERNELL'S BRAISED CHICKEN LEGS
Here is a pleasant, delicious family meal adapted from the California chef Cal Peternell's excellent home-cooking manifesto, "Twelve Recipes," published in 2014 by HarperCollins. There are two steps to the process, which as Mr. Peternell points out can lead to endless improvisation. First, season the chicken and brown it well in a pan. Salt, pepper and flour are what's called for in this basic recipe, but adding some paprika would be a delicious option, or some cumin, coriander, paprika and a dash of cinnamon and caraway for a scent of Morocco. Then, braise it in liquid - white wine for the classic, red wine for a coq-au-vin feel, or with beer, chicken stock or plain water. Mr. Peternell does his braising in the oven, but you could easily do it on the stovetop as well, simmering the chicken slowly beneath a lid. Pair with rice or boiled potatoes, with couscous, with big hunks of garlic bread.
Provided by Sam Sifton
Categories dinner, lunch, roasts, main course
Time 1h30m
Yield 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Season chicken legs with salt and pepper and let them sit for a while, 15 minutes to an hour, or overnight in the refrigerator.
- Heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a cup or two of flour in a large bowl, add half the chicken and tumble the legs around to coat.
- Set a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl in 2 tablespoons oil or butter and allow to melt and foam. Shake excess flour off the chicken legs and slide them into the hot pan in one layer; adjust the heat so the legs are sizzling nicely. When the legs begin to brown, after about 5 minutes, turn them over to brown the other side, an additional 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the chicken to a platter and repeat with remaining legs, adding more oil or butter if the pan seems dry.
- Pour off the grease in the pan and add the wine or other liquid to the skillet, scraping at the sticky bits. Let simmer over medium heat until pan is completely deglazed. Pour that liquid into a small bowl and set aside.
- Add remaining oil or butter to the pan and allow it to heat. Add onion, carrot, celery and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened nicely, approximately 10 minutes. Add garlic, thyme and bay leaf and cook for a minute or so, then return all the chicken to the pan, skin side up, along with the reserved glazing liquid and between 1 and 3 cups stock or water, enough to come up the sides of the chicken but not to get them swimming. Bring to a simmer and then put the skillet in the oven.
- After 5 minutes or so, reduce the oven heat to 325 degrees and cook until chicken is very tender, 30 to 40 minutes. (Test for doneness by inserting a slender-bladed knife into the meat. It should pull out easily.) Remove the skillet from the oven, lift the legs from the skillet and put them aside again. Pour the liquid contents of the skillet into a small bowl and allow it to sit for 5 minutes or so, letting the fat rise to the surface. Use a small ladle to skim off and discard the fat, then return liquid to the pan, along with the chicken. Bring back to a simmer on the stovetop, then return to the oven for 5 minutes or so before serving, sprinkled with the chopped parsley, or save to reheat later.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 577, UnsaturatedFat 18 grams, Carbohydrate 14 grams, Fat 33 grams, Fiber 2 grams, Protein 49 grams, SaturatedFat 12 grams, Sodium 1078 milligrams, Sugar 4 grams, TransFat 0 grams
BRAISED CHICKEN LEGS AND THIGHS WITH TOMATOES, POTATOES, OLIVES AND CAPERS
One-pot dinners are a home cook's best friend. The mission: Get dinner on the table without much fuss--and should there be leftovers, they must be delicious the following day. When I was working my way up as a chef, this is a dish I made often for staff meals. The stew was a crowd-pleaser then, and remains a favorite with my family. If you're really pressed for time, skip the flour-dredging step. Just be sure to brown the chicken thoroughly, and it will still taste amazing, though the sauce might be slightly thinner.
Provided by Food Network
Categories main-dish
Time 1h30m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 22
Steps:
- Let the chicken come to room temperature, then pat the pieces dry and season with salt and pepper. Place the flour in a shallow, flat container and dredge the chicken in the flour, shaking off any excess. Set aside.
- In a large heavy-bottomed skillet or a Dutch oven designed for braising, heat the oil over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add the butter, let it melt and heat until it begins to turn brown, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken and cook until browned on all sides, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a large platter and set aside.
- Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the skillet and return the skillet to the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 1 minute. Add the wine and deglaze the pan, scraping the brown bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, and cook until the wine has reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the stock and tomatoes and raise the heat to high and bring the liquid to a boil. The add the potatoes, olives, capers, and thyme, and stir to combine. Bring the liquid to a boil again, then reduce the heat to low so the liquid is simmering, and return the chicken to the pan. Cover and cook until the chicken is tender and the potatoes can be easily pierced with a knife, 25 to 35 minutes.
- To serve, place one chicken leg and one thigh in each of four shallow bowls. Spoon the sauce on top, getting some of the tomatoes, potatoes, olives and capers in each portion. Serve immediately.
- Place the chicken, carrots, celery, onion, parsley and thyme in an 8-quart stockpot. Add enough water to come up to 2 inches from the top of the pot. Place the pot over high heat and bring the liquid to a lively simmer--do not let the liquid boil. As soon as the liquid starts to simmer, reduce the heat so that you maintain a lively simmer throughout. (This could be anywhere from low to medium heat depending on the strength of your range.) Skim off any gray scum that floats to the top of the stock. Cook the stock, uncovered, for about 2 1/2 hours -- it should reduce in volume by one-quarter to one-third. Strain the stock through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl or clean stockpot, pressing on the solids in the strainer to extract all the liquid. If you like, season with salt to taste--I prefer to keep my stock salt-free.
- Use right away or transfer to air tight containers and refrigerate or freeze. The stock will keep for up to 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer.
BRAISED CHICKEN WITH POTATOES, OLIVES, AND LEMON
Chicken thighs, one of the moister cuts, cook with the potatoes in stock on the stove and then finish in the oven in this casy dinner recipe. The cooking liquid, along with garlic, olives, and lemon, turns into a pan sauce.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Ingredients Meat & Poultry Chicken Chicken Thighs
Time 40m
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Season chicken with salt. Heat a large, heavy ovenproof skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat. Swirl in oil. Cook chicken, skin side down, until browned, about 5 minutes. Flip chicken, and push to side of skillet. Add 1 cup stock and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add potatoes to liquid. Bring to a boil. Add garlic, olives, lemon wedges, and thyme to liquid. Return to a boil.
- Transfer skillet to oven. Roast, stirring potatoes halfway through, until potatoes are tender and chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes.
- Return skillet to stove. Mix cornstarch with remaining 1/4 cup stock, and stir into pan. Bring to a boil to thicken sauce. Serve immediately.
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