Chicken Legs Braised With Tomatoes Onions And Garlic 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 LEGS AND THIGHS WITH TOMATOES, POTATOES, OLIVES AND CAPERS

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.

HEARTY CHICKEN BRAISED IN TOMATOES, ONION & GARLIC

Steps:

• Gather your ingredients.
• Clean and dry the chicken, and then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Chef's Note: To save money, buy a whole chicken and cut it up yourself.
• Add the olive oil to a large skillet, over medium heat.
• When the oil begins to shimmer, add the chicken pieces, skin down and allow to sauté without moving for about 5 minutes.
• Turn the chicken over and sauté for an additional 5 minutes.
• Chef's Note: Unless you have one heck of a large pan, you will need to sauté the chicken in two batches.
• Chef's Note: If you crowd too much chicken into the pan, it won't sauté it... you'll steam it in it's own juices.
• Chef's Tip: In the right light, when you look at oil that's at a good temperature for sautéing; nice and hot, but not yet smoking, it will shimmer. Shimmering oil is good for sautéing because it increases the chances that the food won't stick. Hot oil immediately seals the bottom of food, creating a natural barrier between it and the bottom of the pan.
• Remove the chicken from the pan, and reserve.
• Leave about 2 tablespoons of the fat in the pan.
• Reduce the heat to medium low, and add the onions.
• Cook until they begin to soften, but not brown, about 5 minutes.
• Add the garlic, and cook for an additional minute.
• Chef's Tip: The garlic is ready when it becomes fragrant. Do not let it burn.
• Chef's Note: When the onions hit the pan, until the garlic is nice a fragrant, keep stirring and moving the ingredients around. A busy pan is a happy pan.
• Add the tomatoes and the chicken stock.
• Add a pinch of salt, and then stir to incorporate.
• Increase the heat under the sauté pan, and bring the liquid up to a simmer not a boil. When it hits the simmering stage, reduce the heat, but keep it hot enough to continue the simmer.
• Chef's Note: Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any fonds (brown bits) that many have developed while sautéing the onions and garlic.
• Taste the sauce and season, if necessary.
• Add the thyme springs to the sauce.
• Add the chicken pieces, skin-side up.
• Partially cover the sauté pan with the lid.
• Allow the dish to continue to simmer for an additional 30 minutes.
• Chef's Note: If you have the pan on a simmer, it will not be necessary to do anything else. Just enjoy the great smells coming from the pan.
• After the 30 minutes have elapsed, remove the chicken from the pan, add to a serving dish, and keep warm.
• Increase the heat under the sauce, and allow it to thicken a bit, about an additional 8-10 minutes.
• Return the chicken to the pan, and allow it to heat up a bit, and then return the chicken and the sauce to the serving dish.
• Serve with some good basmati rice. Enjoy.
• Keep the faith, and keep cooking.

BRAISED CHICKEN LEGS WITH OLIVES AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• In a large heavy skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil until almost smoking.
• Season the chicken legs with salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat until well browned, about 5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan and pour off the fat.
• Heat 2 more tablespoons of oil in the skillet. Add the onion and 3 of the garlic cloves and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until softened, about 7 minutes.
• Add the chicken to the skillet with the tomatoes, wine and rosemary; season with pepper and bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. Season with salt. Transfer the chicken to plates and keep warm.
• Meanwhile, in a food processor, pulse the olives with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and 1 garlic clove to a coarse paste.
• Stir the olive paste into the pan sauce and warm over moderate heat. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve.