Recipe One Pot Meal French Lentils With Chicken With Escarole

RECIPE: ONE-POT MEAL - FRENCH LENTILS WITH CHICKEN WITH ESCAROLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°.
• Roughly chop the parsley stems and place them in a food processor. Add the onion, carrot, garlic and chile, and pulse until finely chopped; set aside.
• In a large, wide Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the chicken legs with salt and pepper, and add them to the pot, skin-sides down, and cook until deeply browned on both sides, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer the chicken legs to a plate, skin-sides up. Let cool for a few minutes, then remove the crispy chicken skin, roughly chop and set aside.
• Return the pot to medium-high heat, add the onion mixture and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until softened and golden, 5 minutes. Add the chicken, lentils and water, season with a pinch of salt and pepper, and bring to a simmer, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Transfer the pot to the preheated oven and cook, uncovered, until the lentils are tender and the chicken is cooked through, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 400°.
• While the chicken and lentils are cooking, in a medium bowl, combine the torn bread with ⅔ of the parsley leaves, season with a pinch of salt and pepper, and toss with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil.
• When the lentils and chicken are cooked through, remove the chicken and transfer to a cutting board. Using two forks, remove the meat from the bones in large pieces and return the meat to the lentils; discard the bones. Return the chicken to the pot and stir in 1 tablespoon of the vinegar. Adjust the seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.
• Alternate layering parsley bread mixture, chicken-skin pieces and ½ of the escarole leaves over the top. Return the pot to the oven and bake until the bread pieces are golden and the chicken skin and escarole are crispy, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk the mustard with the remaining 2 tablespoons of vinegar and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and add the remaining escarole and parsley leaves, tossing to coat. Top the chicken and lentils with the escarole-parsley salad and serve.

SKILLET CHICKEN WITH ESCAROLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add skin-side down to the skillet. Cook until the skin browns, about 10 minutes. Flip the chicken, transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, trim the escarole, tear into pieces and rinse well. Thinly slice the garlic.
• Remove the chicken to a plate. Discard all but 3 tablespoons fat from the skillet; return the skillet to medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until golden, about 1 minute. Add half of the escarole and cook, tossing, until wilted, about 1 minute. Add the remaining escarole and cook, tossing, until wilted, 1 minute; season with salt and pepper. Add the thyme and chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Cook until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the capers, butter and lemon juice. Cook, swirling the pan, until the butter is melted. Discard the thyme sprigs.
• Divide the chicken thighs and escarole mixture among plates. Sprinkle with parsley.

CHICKEN BREAST ALA ESCAROLE

Steps:

• Mix together crumbs, garlic and Parmesan cheese and set aside.
• Pound chicken breast lightly to even out thickness (not too thin).
• Dip chicken in egg, then in flour.
• Saute in 2 T oil in large skillet over medium heat for 3 minutes on each side until lightly browned.
• Add half of escarole to skillet, sprinkle with half of bread crumb mixture.
• Add remaining escarole and bread crumbs.
• Pour in broth, then drizzle with remaining olive oil.
• Simmer, covered on low about 15 minutes, until escarole is wilted and chicken is done.

LENTIL AND CHICKEN SOUP WITH SWEET POTATOES AND ESCAROLE

Steps:

• Place chicken carcass, potatoes, lentils, and 1 tsp. salt in a large pot. Cover with 8 cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat, skimming off any foam, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until potatoes are fork tender and lentils are cooked through, 10-12 minutes. Discard chicken carcass.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high. Add celery and garlic and cook, stirring often, until celery and garlic are lightly golden brown and tender, about 12 minutes.
• Stir celery, garlic, shredded chicken, and escarole into soup and cook, stirring occasionally, until escarole is wilted, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in dill and lemon juice; season soup with salt.

CHICKEN WITH WHITE BEANS AND ESCAROLE

Steps:

• - boil water and cook pasta noodles. after you drain them add a little butter to the noodles to keep them from getting sticky.
• - wash chicken and pat dry. salt and pepper chicken on both sides.
• - heat olive oil in large saute pan until shimmering.
• - add chicken and brown for five minutes on each side. remove chicken to plate and let rest.
• - drain pan of most of the chicken fat and return to med-low heat. add diced onion. after onions turns opaque, add garlic. cook until fragrant, about one minute.
• - add chopped escarole to onion mixture and saute until wilted, about three minutes.
• - add white beans, wine and chicken stock. also add sage and red pepper flakes. up heat and simmer five minutes until slightly reduced.
• - return chicken thighs to pan. put lid on pan and turn heat to med-low. if you need to you may add more broth or wine. you want there to be a sauce for the noodles.
• - after about ten minutes flip chiken thighs and put lid back on. simmer ten more minutes.
• - remove lid and add sherry. simmer on low five more minutes and check thighs for doneness. may take a few minutes more depending on their size. serve over buttered bow-tie pasta with grated parmesan to garnish.

LENTIL & ESCAROLE SOUP (COOK'S ILLUSTRATED)

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a 6 qt heavy sauce pan or dutch oven over medium heat until it starts to shimmer.
• Add the onion, garlic, celery, carrot, parsley and 3/4 teaspoon of salt. Cook until the vegetables are soft and reduced -- about 15 -20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Increase the heat to medium high, add the broth, water, tomatoes, lentil, Parmesan rind & bay leaves and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour - 1 1/4 hours until the lentils are soft.
• Stir in escarole and cook for about 5 minutes until wilted. Salt and pepper to taste.
• Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and grated Parmesan cheese.