Cast Iron Braised Chicken And Tomatoes 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.

CHICKEN BRAISED WITH RED WINE VINEGAR AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• Put the flour, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper in a 1-gallon plastic zip-top bag. Close and shake to combine. Add the chicken to the bag, zip it closed, and shake vigorously to coat with flour.
• Heat 2 Tbs. of the oil in a 12-inch skillet(preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat until shimmering hot. Add half of the chicken in a single layer and cook, flipping once, until golden, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a large bowl. Add the remaining 1 Tbs. oil to the pan and repeat with the remaining chicken.
• Add the onion to the pan and cook, stirring, until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds more. Stir in the tomatoes and bay leaf, raise the heat to high, and cook until the tomatoes begin to break down, about 2 minutes. Add the vinegar and boil vigorously until almost evaporated, about 30 seconds. Return the chicken and any accumulated juice to the pan, along with the chicken broth, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper, stirring well to combine. Bring to a boil; then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through, about 8 minutes. Stir in the parsley, cover, and cook for 1 minute more.
• Season to taste with salt. Remove the bay leaf and serve.

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 CHICKEN WITH POTATOES, OLIVES, AND LEMON

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.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH TOMATOES AND HONEY

Steps:

• Heat 4 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat in a deep, wide saute pan that has a tight-fitting lid. Brown the chicken breasts on both sides and set aside.
• Saute the onions in the same oil until soft and translucent (5-7 minutes). Reduce the heat and deglaze with 1/2 cup chicken stock, scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon.
• Add the tomatoes and cook until they begin to soften, stirring every once in a while. Add the saffron and honey. Stir well to dissolve. Add the cinnamon sticks and gingerroot.
• Return the chicken breasts to the pot, making sure they are covered with sauce. Turn the heat down to simmer and cover the pan with foil. Then cover it with its lid. Cook 50 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a skewer or toothpick into the meat. If juice runs yellow meat is done.
• While the chicken is cooking, toast the almonds by cooking them in a dry cast-iron skillet over medium heat or on a cookie sheet in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees until nicely browned.
• Remove the cinnamon sticks and gingerroot before serving. The tomatoes will have dissolved into a nice sauce. Pass the sauce through a sieve to smooth it out before serving. If you used canned tomatoes, this has the added advantage of removing the seeds. Serve one chicken breast per person, covered with some of the sauce and sprinkled with toasted almonds.
• Serve this dish with couscous or saffron rice pilaf.

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.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH TOMATO AND ROSEMARY

Steps:

• Heat half of the oil in a large frying pan on medium. Cook chicken for 3-4 minutes each side until browned.
• Add half of the chopped rosemary and stir to combine. Transfer chicken to a plate.
• Heat remaining oil and cook onion for 3-4 minutes until soft. Add garlic, anchovy and remaining rosemary. Cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
• Add tomatoes, capers and red wine or water. Bring to the boil.
• Return chicken to pan, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes until cooked through.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste and scatter over the extra rosemary sprigs.
• Serve with salad greens and crusty bread.

TOMATO & SUMMER VEGETABLE BRAISED CHICKEN

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.