Tuesday, June 13, 2017

Pepper Braised Chicken

Braised Chicken Legs with Peppers, Mushrooms, Onions and Carrots. Hearty, wholesome and GREAT for perfuming the house! Adapted from The Food Lab


Pepper Braised Chicken

Last week was a long one for this household - especially for me. It started off on Monday, with my class' dress rehearsal for their Medieval "dinner theatre" production... a feat which sucked up the morning, and for lack of a better phrase, chewed it up, spat it out and washed it down the sink with bleach.

Okay, maybe it wasn't that bad, but it was close. I'm trying not to be oversensitive (I wrote and directed the action myself, wrote the recipes and cooked 3/4 of the meal) but I remember putting in massive effort as a kid, and these guys just... didn't. Oh well. The "real" production that night was overall an enjoyable one for the parents, which was the point! I haven't forgotten to share the recipe for the dessert, I just need to get around to it!

After the drama with the drama (as it were), our group packed up and shipped off for our year-end extended field trip. It sounded fun - a sports camp complete with zipline and kayaking. What the brochure failed to mention was the blackflies. Bug spray, layered clothing and mad swatting was of no use - we all came home on Friday (in the rain) exhausted and looking like we had a bad case of the measles.

Thankfully, with those 7 days behind us, there are only 5 or so left to get through before this school year is in the books. Until then, I've turned to cooking comforting meals for both myself and the family - it's the best type of therapy there is!


Pepper Braised Chicken
Serves 12
6 bone-in, skin-on leg quarters, halved
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp canola oil
4 small onions, halved and sliced
1 lb mushrooms, quartered
2 medium carrots, quartered lengthwise and sliced
1 large green pepper, thinly sliced
1 large red pepper, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp Aleppo pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp white rice flour
1 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups chicken gravy (I used a homemade, gluten free one) OR 3 cups double strength chicken stock (ie. two of these pucks + 3 cups water)
1 1/2 cups water (omit if using stock)
1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes (I like fire roasted, but if you're watching sodium I prefer these)
  1. Season chicken legs with salt and pepper and place in the fridge, uncovered, for 1 hour.
  2. Remove from the fridge and let rest at room temperature (covered lightly with plastic wrap) for 30 minutes. 
  3. Heat oven to 350°F.
  4. Heat oil in a cast-iron Dutch oven over high heat.
  5. Carefully add chicken pieces skin-side-down (work in batches to avoid crowding the pan).
  6. Cook, without moving, until chicken is deep golden brown and skin is crisp, about 5 minutes.
  7. Turn over and continue to cook until second side is golden brown, about 3 minutes longer.
  8. Transfer chicken to a large plate and set aside.
  9. Add onions, mushrooms, carrots and peppers to skillet and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until peppers are completely softened and just starting to brown.
  10. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  11. Add paprika, pepper flakes, oregano, and flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute longer.
  12. Add wine and stir well to take up any browned bits off of the bottom of the pot.
  13. Add gravy and water (or stock) and tomatoes and bring to a boil.
  14. Nestle chicken pieces into the pot so that only some skin is showing.
  15. Cover and bake for 20 minutes.
  16. Stir, re-cover and bake 15 minutes.
  17. Remove lid and continue to cook until chicken is falling off the bone tender, skin is crisp, and sauce is rich, about 20 minutes longer.
  18. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 598.3
Total Fat: 43.9 g
Cholesterol: 191.3 mg
Sodium: 860.5 mg
Total Carbs: 18.5 g
Dietary Fiber: 2.2 g
Protein: 31.8 g

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