Easy Wine Braised Chicken Thighs With Mushrooms Recipes

EASY WINE-BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a small bowl, combine the spices to make the spice mixture.
• Pat chicken dry and season well with salt on both sides. Now season with the spice mixture on both sides (make sure to lift skin up and rub some of the spice mixture underneath.) Leave aside for 20 minutes or refrigerate uncovered for 2 hours if you have the time.
• In a large braiser or Dutch oven (like this one), heat 1 to 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking (be sure to coat the bottom well with the EVOO.) Add chicken, skin side down, and cook undisturbed for 8 minutes until golden brown (lower heat if it starts to smoke excessively.) Turn chicken over and brown on the other side briefly (about 3 minutes). Transfer chicken to a plate for now.
• To the pot, add shallots and garlic. Cook briefly over medium heat until softer and fragrant. Stir in tomato paste, wine, and broth. Add bay leaves and 1tsp dry rosemary. Season with just a pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer for 4 minutes or so.
• Carefully nestle chicken into the liquid, making sure the liquid covers only 3/4 of the chicken thighs leaving the skins exposed. Add dry figs (or apricots) to the pot. Bring to a simmer.
• Transfer chicken to oven and cook, uncovered, until totally tender and liquid has reduced by about half, about 40-45 minutes (Check half way through to be sure liquid is okay, you should still have some liquid in the end.)
• While chicken is cooking, heat a small non stick pan, adding a very small drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Add mushrooms and saute.
• About 10 minutes or before the chicken has finished cooking, add mushrooms. Return to oven for those last 10 minutes.
• Remove from oven. Finish with lemon juice and a garnish of fresh parsley.
• Serve with Lebanese rice (making sure to get some of the pan juice on top). Add a side of Greek Bean salad, of balela salad or fattoush salad.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Quick-cooking polenta made to package directions, or crusty-style bake-off packaged bread such as ciabatta or, fresh crusty bread - pop in freezer if storing more than one night.
• Place the dried mushrooms, and stock in small pot over medium-high heat. Bring to low boil then reduce heat to low and reconstitute.
• Heat a thin layer of olive oil, a couple of turns of the pan, in a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid or a Dutch oven, over medium-high heat. Pat the chicken pieces dry, and season liberally with salt and pepper. To avoid crowding the pan, brown 1/2 the chicken at a time, skin-side down, for 5 minutes, then turn the chicken and brown 3 to 4 minutes more.
• Remove the browned chicken to a plate and add to the pan the sliced fresh mushrooms, browning the mushrooms for 10 to 15 minutes. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, thyme, and bay leaves, salt, and pepper and stir 10 minutes more to soften.
• Deglaze the pot with the Marsala. Add the chicken pieces back to the pot and arrange the vegetables and mushrooms on top. Remove the porcinis from the small pot, roughly chop, and add to chicken. Pour the porcini stock over the chicken, reserving the last couple of spoonfuls, as this is where any grit may have settled.
• Cover and braise at a low simmer for 30 minutes over low heat. Cool and store for a make-ahead meal. Reheat over a medium flame, or in a preheated 325 degree F oven, and heat through 20 to 30 minutes. Serve with quick-cooking polenta or crusty bread, and garnish with chopped celery tops.

BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH BUTTON MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Set a 10-inch, straight-sided saute pan over medium-high heat and add the oil. Season the chicken thighs with the Essence, salt and pepper. Place the chicken, skin side down in the pan and sear until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the chicken over and sear on the second side for another 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and add the butter and mushrooms. Saute the mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until browned and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onions and garlic to the pan and saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle the flour into the pan and cook, stirring often to make a light brown roux, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, stock and rosemary to the pan, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Return the chicken to the pan, skin side down and cook the chicken for 30 minutes. Turn the chicken over and cook until the meat is very tender, about 30 minutes. Serve the chicken over rice and garnish with the chopped parsley.
• Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
• Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking," by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by William Morrow, 1993.