A Chicken In Every Pot

After a very stressful week we were happy to celebrate St. Patrick's Day at T and J's with six friends.

First we had Manhattans along with smoked salmon.

Then, of course, there was corned beef and cabbage and Irish soda bread--all washed down with a wee bit of Guiness stout and Harp lager or a mixture thereof.

All of this was followed by a Bailey's Irish Cream Cheese Cake and Irish Coffee

A good time was had by all. So you can imagine why, while anticipating another stressful week ahead,it was the comfort and simplicity of chicken that I wanted for dinner on Sunday. I decided on a dish from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food, Braised Chicken with Red Onions and Carrots. I tried to link to Martha's recipe, but it was not yet available.  This link, although not credited to her, is her recipe. This one is my adaptation.

Braised Chicken With Red Onions and Carrots
Adapted by a Recipe by Martha Stewart from Everyday Food
Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
1whole chicken, 3 1/2- to 4 pounds, cut into eight pieces and patted dry
Salt and pepper
1 large red onion, cut into 8 wedges, root end left intact
1 pound carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large Dutch oven heat olive oil over medium-high heat.  Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to pot, skin side down.  Cook until skin is browned, about 8 minutes. Turn and cook another 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to plate and set aside.

Add onion and carrots to pot, season with salt and pepper and cook until onion and carrots are slightly golden, about 5 minutes.  Add wine, scraping up browned bits. Return chicken to pot, skin side up, and add 1 cup water. Bring to boil, cover and transfer to oven.  Cook until chicken is cooked through, about 35 minutes.

Radishes with sweet butter and sea salt before dinner

I like to cut my chicken into 8 pieces, but because this chicken was just over 3 pounds, I left the legs and thighs attached. I leave a little bit of breast meat attached to each wing, and cut each breast half in two. 

 The chicken has been sauteed and vegetables added.  It is now ready for the oven.  Of course, you may finish cooking this on top of the stove. But once in the oven, it gave me time to clean the cooktop, thus making after-dinner clean up a breeze.

As I said the chicken was small, so it really would not have served four for dinner, and there was too much water added. If I make this dish again, I would remove the cooked chicken pieces and reduce the liquid to a thicker sauce or use less liquid.  Any way, it was a tasty dish.


Have a good week.

 

A Fall Dinner

Fall appeared in all its glory this past weekend, and it brought with it the desire to cook something for the season.  Since T and J were coming for dinner on Saturday night, it was a good excuse to cook up a favorite one-pot meal of chicken fragrant with honey and cinnamon and simmered with apricots and golden raisins. 

Pre dinner nibbles

The chicken was served on a platter over couscous and accompanied by a Shiraz

And an apple crostata for dessert

HONEYED CHICKEN WITH RAISINS AND APRICOTS
Adapted from a recipe by All-Clad

1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 chicken, 3/12-4 lbs., cut into 8 pieces
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon grated ginger
2-3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Heat oil in a dutch over medium-high heat.  Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Brown chicken well, about 5 minutes per side. Remove chicken.  (At this point, I remove the skin from the chicken as I do not like the mouth feel of stewed chicken skin.  Leaving it on while browning, helps retain its moisture and add flavor.)

Add the onion, garlic and ginger to the pan and saute 2 minutes. Add honey, cinnamon, salt, pepper and turmeric.  Stir, adding a small amount of the broth to deglaze the pan. Cook for 30-60 seconds.  Return the chicken to the pan and add the rest of the chicken broth. Cover, turn heat to medium low and simmer for 30 minutes. Add apricots and raisins and cook for 30 minutes longer until chicken is done.

Brown almonds in the butter and sprinkle over chicken to serve.

Note:  I smelled this recipe being tested three years ago in a department store, and I've been a fan ever since. I often use a larger chicken or add thighs to the recipe.  If you choose to do that, the recipe is very   forgiving--just add a little more broth and season to taste.  Enjoy!