Braised Chicken Thighs With Caramelized Fennel Leeks Recipes

BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH CARAMELIZED FENNEL

Steps:

• Trim fennel bulbs, and set aside fronds. In a blender or food processor, pulse about 1/2 cup fronds, garlic, lemon zest and 1/4 teaspoon salt until finely chopped. Add 1/3 cup oil and purée.
• Halve fennel bulbs lengthwise. Slice thinly with a mandoline or very sharp knife.
• Season chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over high heat. Brown chicken until skin is crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate, leaving drippings in pan.
• Stir fennel seeds into skillet and cook for 30 seconds. Add sliced fennel and onion, seasoning with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Reduce heat to medium and cook, tossing occasionally, until vegetables are caramelized, 15 to 20 minutes. Add Pernod and scrape up any browned bits in the bottom of the skillet; cook until liquid has evaporated, about 1 minute.
• Lay chicken on top of the fennel-onion mixture. Pour 3 tablespoons water into the pan. Cover skillet and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until chicken is just cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Uncover and cook off any excess liquid if necessary. Stir in lemon juice.
• Serve chicken and vegetables topped with generous dollops of the fennel frond purée.

BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH CARAMELIZED FENNEL & LEEKS

Steps:

• Trim fennel bulbs, and set aside fronds. In a blender or food processor, pulse about 1/2 cup fronds, garlic, lemon zest and 1/4 teaspoon salt until finely chopped. Add 1/3 cup oil and purée.
• Halve fennel bulbs lengthwise. Slice thinly with a mandoline or very sharp knife.
• clean and thinly slice leaks.
• Season chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over high heat. Brown chicken until skin is crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate, leaving drippings in pan.
• Stir fennel seeds into skillet and cook for 30 seconds. Add the sliced fennel, leeks and onion, seasoning with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Reduce heat to medium and cook, tossing occasionally, until vegetables are caramelized, 15 to 20 minutes. Add Pernod and scrape up any browned bits in the bottom of the skillet; cook until liquid has evaporated, about 1 minute.
• Lay chicken on top of the fennel-onion mixture. Pour 3 tablespoons water into the pan. Cover skillet and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until chicken is just cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Uncover and cook off any excess liquid if necessary. Stir in lemon juice.
• Serve chicken and vegetables topped with generous dollops of the fennel frond purée.

BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH 40 CLOVES OF GARLIC

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Simmer the garlic in a saucepan of water until tender, about 10 minutes (this will soften the flavor). Drain and let cool, then pop the jackets off the cloves and reserve.
• Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the EVOO in a large ovenproof skillet. Add the chicken, skin-side down, and cook until the skin is browned and very crisp, 7 to 8 minutes. Flip the chicken and brown the other side, 3 to 4 minutes more. Remove the chicken to a plate. Melt the butter into the fat remaining in the skillet and add the mushrooms and thyme. Cook until the mushrooms are browned and very tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Deglaze with the Marsala, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon. Return the chicken to the skillet, skin-side up, and add the garlic. Add enough stock to come up and around the chicken but not cover the skin. Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook for 45 minutes.
• Transfer the chicken to a warmed platter and loosely tent with foil. Reduce the sauce on the stovetop until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add the kale and cook until just wilted, then stir in a bit of nutmeg.
• Spoon the sauce and kale into shallow bowls and top with the chicken. Serve with warm bread for mopping.

BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH CHILE, CINNAMON, CARDAMOM AND CORIANDER

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a Dutch oven or other large, heavy-bottomed ovenproof pan, heat the oil over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger and chili, and cook, stirring often, until slightly softened, about 1 minute. Add cinnamon, cardamom and coriander, and cook, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds.
• Add chicken to the pot along with the salt, pepper, potatoes, coconut milk and just enough chicken stock to half-cover the thighs and potatoes. Turn heat to high, bring just to a simmer, then cover and put in the oven. Cook until potatoes are tender and chicken thighs are cooked through, 45 minutes to one hour.
• Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken and potatoes to a serving dish. Tent loosely with foil and let rest. Skim as much fat as possible from the surface of the sauce, then return to a simmer over medium-high heat and simmer until slightly thickened, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the lime juice and cilantro, and adjust seasoning as necessary. Pour the sauce over the chicken and potatoes, and serve.

BRAISED CHICKEN LEGS WITH GRAPES AND FENNEL

Steps:

• Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 375°F. Season chicken legs all over with 3 tsp. salt.
• Swirl 1 Tbsp. oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot to coat and heat over medium-high. Place 2 chicken legs, skin side down, in pot, making sure skin is in direct contact with pan. Cook, undisturbed, until dark golden, about 5 minutes. Turn over and cook until golden on other side, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a large plate. Repeat with remaining 2 chicken legs; reserve pot.
• Meanwhile, working one at a time, stand a bulb, root end down, on a cutting board and slice off a short end to create a flat surface. Turn cut side down and slice ½" thick, starting from the top end of bulb so the root end can hold the layers in place while you slice. Discard last ¼" (root end) of each bulb and pop out and discard tougher center from slices. Transfer fennel to a large bowl and add half of the grapes, ½ tsp. salt, and remaining 1 Tbsp. oil; toss to coat. Set aside.
• Reduce heat to medium and combine broth, honey, chile paste, and remaining 1 tsp. salt in reserved pot. Stir to combine and dissolve salt. Place remaining grapes in pot and arrange chicken legs, skin side up and overlapping if needed, over grapes. Top with dressed fennel and grapes. (Don't worry if it looks crowded: Fennel will soften as it cooks.)
• Transfer pot, uncovered, to oven and roast until fennel is slightly softened, with some crispy, caramelized edges, grapes on top are swollen and browned in spots, and chicken is cooked through, 30-40 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon or tongs, transfer grapes and fennel to a bowl and chicken to a platter. Place pot over medium-high heat and bring braising liquid to a simmer. Cook until reduced by half (you should have about 1 cup liquid), 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vinegar and fennel fronds.
• Spoon sauce over chicken and serve with fennel and grapes alongside.

EMERIL'S BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• Season the chicken all over with the Essence and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Place the 1/2 cup flour in a small bowl, and quickly dredge both sides of each thigh in the flour, shaking to remove any excess. Set aside.
• Heat 1 teaspoon of the olive oil in a 10- to 12-inch flameproof casserole or saute pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter, and when it has melted, place the chicken, skin side down, in the pan. Brown for 2 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
• Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter to the pan, and when it has melted, add the onions, garlic, thyme bundle or rosemary sprigs, remaining 1/2 teaspoon then whisk in the chicken stock and increase the heat to high. Return the chicken, skin side down, to the pan, and bring the stock to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan with a heavy, tight-fitting lid, and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Uncover the pan, stir the bottom of the pan to prevent scorching, and turn the chicken skin side up. Cover the pan, and simmer for 20 minutes longer.
• Stir the bottom of the pan a final time, re-cover, and simmer for 20 more minutes.
• Remove the pan from the heat and discard the herb bundle or rosemary sprigs. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Add the parsley to the sauce, stir to combine, and then spoon the sauce over the chicken. Serve with steamed white rice.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH ASPARAGUS, PEAS, AND MELTED LEEKS

Steps:

• If you see or feel dirt in the leeks, rinse well, separating layers, then pat dry; otherwise, leave rounds intact.
• Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high until hot but not smoking. Add leeks in a single layer; season with 1/4 tsp. salt and a pinch of pepper. Reduce heat to low and cook, turning once, until leeks are lightly golden, 16-18 minutes. Transfer leeks to a plate; reserve skillet.
• Lightly crush fennel seeds with the bottom of a heavy skillet or pot. Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels and season with fennel, 1 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Heat remaining 2 Tbsp. oil in a 5-7-qt. Dutch oven or large wide saucepan over medium-high. Cook thighs, skin side down, until well-browned, 12-14 minutes. Transfer skin side up to a plate. Pour off and discard fat.
• Add wine to pot, bring to a simmer, and cook, scraping up bits from bottom of pot, 1 minute. Add broth and return chicken skin side up to pot. Lower heat to medium-low, cover pot, and cook until chicken is cooked through, 15-18 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine asparagus, peas, and 2 Tbsp. water in reserved skillet, cover, and cook over medium heat until asparagus is crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add 1/2 tsp. lemon zest, remaining 1/4 tsp. salt, and a pinch of pepper; stir gently to just combine.
• Divide chicken, asparagus mixture, and reserved leeks among large shallow bowls. Bring broth to a simmer, add lemon juice, then ladle into bowls. Top with dill and remaining 1 Tbsp. lemon zest.

EASY OVEN-BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
• Pat chicken dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Working in batches, place in the hot skillet, skin-side down. Cook until well browned but be sure not to burn, about 3 minutes. Turn and cook on the bottom side for 1 minute. Transfer to a 9x13-inch baking dish, skin-side up.
• Combine boiling water, garlic powder, and bouillon in a small bowl. Pour into the baking dish around (not over) the chicken until it comes about 1/3 of the way up the sides of the chicken; do not cover the chicken.
• Cover and bake in the preheated oven until chicken is no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, 60 to 75 minutes, uncovering and broiling for the last 5 minutes if possible. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
• Remove from the pan and let sit for at least 5 to 10 minutes before serving.