Braised Chicken With Tomato Pancetta And Zinfandel Recipes

BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS AND LEGS WITH TOMATO

Steps:

• Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over high heat. Arrange the chicken thighs and legs on a tray in a single layer and season them with salt, to taste. Turn the pieces on their other side and season again. When the oil begins to smoke lightly, carefully add the chicken to the oil. Do not overcrowd the pan. Resist the temptation to move or turn the pieces. Allow them to brown on their first side, about 3 to 5 minutes. Use metal tongs to turn the chicken pieces to sear their second side, about 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a tray and set it aside.
• In the same skillet, add the cumin seeds and chili flakes, stirring rapidly to give them a quick toast, about 10 to 15 seconds. Add the onions, ginger and garlic and stir to combine. Season the ingredients with salt, to taste, then add the tomatoes, cinnamon, and bay leaves. Allow the mixture to cook and all the flavors to come together, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken back to the pan, keep the heat low and continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through, 30 to 45 minutes. (Chef's note: If the sauce becomes overly thick or begins to stick to the bottom of the skillet, feel free to add some water, about 1/2 cup at a time.)
• When the chicken is cooked through, remove and discard the cinnamon sticks and bay leaves. Taste for seasoning and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve alongside the braised cabbage, if desired.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH MUSHROOMS AND ALMONDS

Steps:

• Coat a large, wide, deep pan with olive oil and bring to a high heat. Pat the chicken skin dry with paper towels and season generously with salt. Add chicken skin side down to the pan. You should hear a big sizzle as the thighs hit the pan. Do not try to move the chicken, the skin will stick itself to the bottom of the pan and will unstick itself when it is ready. If the pan is smoking excessively turn the burner down and continue to cook. When the skin is brown and crispy, turn the chicken over and brown it on the other side. Remove the chicken from the pan and reserve.
• Lower the heat if you have not already done so and ditch most of the excess fat. Add the pancetta and brown. When the pancetta has started to get brown and crispy add the onions. Season with salt and crushed red pepper and sweat over medium heat for 7 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and saute for 3 to 4 minutes or until they release their juices. Add the wine and reduce by half. Return the chicken to the pan. Add chicken stock to almost cover the chicken. Add the thyme and bay leaves. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer the chicken for 30 to 35 minutes. Add more chicken stock, if needed.
• While the chicken is cooking puree the almonds in the food processor. Drizzle in a little olive oil while the machine is running to make this a loose paste. Season with salt and reserve.
• Once the chicken has cooked for 30 to 35 minutes, remove it from the pan and reserve. Taste the sauce for seasoning and stir in the almond puree. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer to thicken the sauce, if needed. The almond puree will help to thicken the sauce and to make it very rich.
• Serve the chicken over Sauteed Haricots Verts or your favorite green vegetable. Spoon the mushroom almond sauce over and garnish with chopped chives.
• Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil. Set up a bowl of well salted ice water for shocking.
• Add the beans to the boiling water and cook until the beans are tender but still toothsome about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the boiling water and place immediately into the salted ice water. Once the beans are cool, remove them from the water and set aside until ready to use.
• Coat a large saute pan with olive oil. Add the garlic and the crushed red pepper and bring to a medium-high heat. When the garlic has become golden and very aromatic, remove it and discard. It has fulfilled its garlic destiny. Add the beans to the pan and saute until they are hot and coated with oil. Season with salt and serve right away.
• Yield: 4 servings
• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: 10 minutes

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH SALAMI AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and sear chicken in 2 batches until golden brown, about 7 minutes per side. Transfer cooked chicken to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or another large, shallow casserole.
• Add onions to skillet and cook in the rendered chicken fat until brown, stirring, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, fennel, rosemary branch, salami, olives, oregano and red pepper flakes. Pour in wine and simmer to reduce, scraping the bottom of the pan. Add tomato paste and cook for 5 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring to incorporate, for another 2 minutes.
• Pour in chicken broth in batches and stir to incorporate. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in bay leaves and lemon juice.
• Pour sauce over the chicken in the baking dish and roast in the oven, basting every 30 minutes, until chicken is very tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Discard bay leaves and rosemary. Serve chicken warm, with plenty of sauce.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH TOMATOES, CUMIN AND FETA

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.

SUMMER BRAISED CHICKEN WITH TOMATOES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a shallow flameproof casserole dish over a medium heat. Throw in the shallots and soften, then remove and set aside. Season the chicken, turn up the heat and add to the pan with the remaining oil, browning all over. Return the shallots to the dish, pour over the stock and add the garlic, thyme, tomatoes, beans and chilli. Bring to the boil, cover and put in the oven for 30 mins or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the lid and cook for 10 mins more to reduce the sauce.
• Meanwhile, pour the polenta into 700ml boiling water while whisking. Cook for 2 mins (or according to pack instructions). Season generously, remove from the heat and stir through the Parmesan and butter. Serve the polenta with the chicken on top, scattered with basil.

BRAISED TUSCAN KALE WITH PANCETTA AND CARAMELIZED ONIONS

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Cut out a round of parchment paper to fit just inside a 5- to 6-quart heavy ovenproof pot, then set round aside.
• Blanch kale in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water in 2 batches, 2 minutes per batch, transferring with tongs to a colander as blanched, then drain well.
• Warm oil in 5- to 6-quart pot over moderate heat, then add pancetta and cook, stirring frequently, until crisp, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer pancetta with a slotted spoon to a plate and reserve, discarding all but 1/4 cup of fat in pot (if necessary).
• Tie thyme, bay leaf, and parsley together with kitchen string to make a bouquet garni and add to pot along with onions and garlic. Cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until onions are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Return pancetta to pot then add butter and heat, stirring occasionally, until melted. Stir in kale and add enough stock to cover three fourths of kale. Increase heat to high and bring to a simmer. Cover kale directly with parchment round, then transfer pot to oven and braise, stirring once or twice, until kale is very tender, about 45 minutes.
• Transfer pot to stovetop and discard parchment, then boil mixture, stirring occasionally, until almost all of liquid is evaporated but kale is still moist, about 35 minutes. Discard bouquet garni and garlic and season kale with salt and pepper.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH TOMATO, PANCETTA AND ZINFANDEL

Steps:

• Strain the mushroom liquid through dampened cheesecloth into a bowl. Set aside. Rinse the chicken pieces with cold water, pat dry with paper towels, and season with salt and pepper. Place a Dutch oven or large fry pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add the olive oil and swirl to coat the bottom. When the oil is almost smoking, add the chicken, skin side down, in one layer. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until browned, about 8 minutes, then turn and brown on the other side, about 8 minutes more. Transfer to a platter and pour off all but 1 Tbs. of the fat. Return the pan to medium-low heat and add the pancetta. Cook, stirring, until the pancetta crisps, about 1 minute. Add the garlic and sage and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute. Add the wine and simmer briefly, using a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits from the pan bottom. Add the tomatoes and the porcini and their liquid. Bring to a simmer, adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Add a little water if the sauce is too dry. Preheat an oven to 200°F. Return the chicken to the pan, cover and simmer gently, turning the pieces once in the sauce, until tender, about 15 minutes. As the pieces are done, transfer them to a heatproof serving platter kept in the oven. (The breasts may be done first.) If the sauce is thin, increase the heat to high and simmer until thickened. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and garnish with the parsley. Serve immediately.