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 BALSAMIC CHICKEN
This chicken is good with either rice or pasta. Green beans make a nice side dish.
Provided by MOONANDBACK
Categories Meat and Poultry Recipes Chicken Chicken Breast Recipes Skillet
Time 35m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Season both sides of chicken breasts with garlic salt and pepper.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook seasoned chicken breasts until chicken is browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Add onion; cook and stir until onion is browned, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Pour diced tomatoes and balsamic vinegar over chicken; season with basil, oregano, rosemary and thyme. Simmer until chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear, about 15 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
Nutrition Facts : Calories 195.7 calories, Carbohydrate 7.6 g, Cholesterol 60.8 mg, Fat 7 g, Fiber 1.2 g, Protein 23.8 g, SaturatedFat 1.3 g, Sodium 510.9 mg, Sugar 5.4 g
TOMATO & SUMMER VEGETABLE BRAISED CHICKEN
Step into summer with this veggie-packed, light chicken casserole.
Provided by Donal Skehan
Categories main-dish
Time 25m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Heat a tiny drizzle of the oil in a large saute pan. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper and brown really well over a high heat until golden - this should take about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add the rest of the oil to the pan, reduce the heat to medium and gently fry the onion, garlic, thyme and zucchini for 8 minutes until the onion is just softened and the zucchini has started to brown.
- Add the potatoes, tomatoes and stock, then return the chicken to the pan and simmer, partially covered, for 10 minutes until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is cooked through.
- Add the green beans and lemon zest and cook for 2 minutes more until the beans are just tender. Stir in a squeeze of lemon juice and serve.
BRAISED CHICKEN WITH TOMATOES, OLIVES AND CAPERS
Provided by Mark Bittman
Categories dinner, main course
Time 1h
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Put the oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When it's hot, add the chicken, skin side down. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook undisturbed, adjusting the heat so the chicken doesn't burn, until the pieces are browned on the bottom and release easily from the skillet, 5 to 10 minutes. Continue cooking, turning the chicken every few minutes, until it's brown all over, 5 to 10 minutes more. Remove the chicken from the pan and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat.
- Add the onions and capers and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and tomatoes; cook until the mixture starts to bubble and the tomatoes thicken slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the wine and let the mixture bubble for another 2 minutes.
- Add the olives and thyme, and return the chicken to the skillet, nestling the pieces into the sauce. Adjust the heat so the liquid bubbles gently but steadily, then cover the skillet. Cook, turning the chicken every 10 minutes or so and adding a splash of stock or water if the sauce looks too dry, until the chicken is tender and cooked through, 20 to 30 minutes (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh should read 155 to 165). Taste the sauce, and adjust the seasoning. Garnish with the parsley, and serve.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 675, UnsaturatedFat 30 grams, Carbohydrate 17 grams, Fat 45 grams, Fiber 7 grams, Protein 46 grams, SaturatedFat 11 grams, Sodium 1297 milligrams, Sugar 8 grams, TransFat 0 grams
BRAISED CHICKEN WITH TOMATOES, CUMIN AND FETA
Pleasantly reminiscent of shakshuka, this one-pot dinner has a similar spiced tomato sauce, but uses crispy skinned, cumin-laced chicken thighs instead of eggs. The harissa-spiked sauce is best spooned over an herbed rice or enjoyed with crusty bread to scoop up the melty feta. Roasted vegetables like kale or broccolini would round out the meal nicely. Harissa tends to differ in heat level from brand to brand, so adjust the heat accordingly.
Provided by Yasmin Fahr
Categories dinner, weekday, poultry, main course
Time 45m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Pat the chicken dry, trim away excess fat, then season well all over with salt, pepper and 2 teaspoons cumin.
- Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy 12-inch skillet over medium until shimmering. Add the chicken thighs, skin-side down. (It's OK if they are a little snug; they will shrink as they cook.) Cook without moving until the skin is crispy and easily releases from the pan, about 8 to 10 minutes. Use tongs to turn over and cook until the bottom is lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes more, then transfer to a plate.
- Add the onions to the rendered chicken fat in the skillet, season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to soften, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon cumin and the garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the harissa and let cook for about 1 minute. Add the crushed tomatoes, and season with salt. Bring the mixture to a boil over high, then adjust the temperature to maintain an active simmer. Cook until it becomes a deeper red color, about 5 minutes more.
- Add any juices that collected on the plate, stir to mix, then nestle in the chicken thighs, skin-side up, so that the skin is above the sauce. Adjust the heat to maintain a simmer, then partly cover and cook until the chicken is tender and cooked through, 15 to 18 minutes. (If you'd like crispier skin, pop the chicken under the broiler for a minute or two.)
- Garnish with the feta and cilantro and serve with bread or herbed rice.
BRAISED CHICKEN WITH TOMATOES AND OLIVES (POULET PROVENCAL)
Provided by Shelley Wiseman
Categories Chicken Olive Tomato Roast Kid-Friendly Dinner Fall Summer Family Reunion Potluck Gourmet Paleo Dairy Free Wheat/Gluten-Free Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Soy Free No Sugar Added Kosher Small Plates
Yield Makes 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Preheat convection oven to 400°F or regular oven to 425°F with rack in middle.
- Toss together tomatoes, onion, olives, sliced garlic, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence, fennel seeds, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a 13- by 9-inch or other 3-quart shallow baking dish. Push vegetables to sides of dish to make room for chicken.
- Stir together minced garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, remaining teaspoon herbes de Provence, and remaining tablespoon olive oil.
- Remove excess fat from chicken and pat dry, then rub inside and out with seasoning mixture. Tie legs together with string, then put chicken in baking dish.
- Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of a thigh (do not touch bone) registers 170°F, about 1 hour in convection oven; 1 to 1 1/4 hours in regular oven.
- Let chicken stand 10 minutes before carving. Serve with vegetables and pan juices.
BRAISED CHICKEN WITH TOMATOES AND OLIVES
Categories Chicken Olive Tomato Braise Dinner Winter Simmer Gourmet Dairy Free Wheat/Gluten-Free Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Soy Free No Sugar Added Kosher
Yield Makes 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown chicken in 2 batches, about 8 minutes, transferring as browned to a plate.
- Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet. Add onion, garlic, and thyme to fat remaining in skillet and cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, olives, salt, and pepper and return chicken to skillet. Simmer, covered, turning chicken occasionally, until chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes.
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