Winter is here and we can all use a little comfort food to make us feel warm. I like to think of braised food as the fuzzy warm quilt of the culinary world. Its something that can be as simple or complex as you want, and when done correctly, its something that can make us feel loved.
This week I make a simple braised chicken that is a bit of a one pot wonder. To make this a full meal, I included some carrots, mushrooms, and tomatoes, and some onion and garlic of course. But really, you can use almost any kind of veggie in this dish. Toss in some rice, and cover with some stock or broth and presto, you have a meal that is fantastic.
This dish draws on the pilaf method of cooking the rice. You can check out my video for rice pilaf if you are not familiar with this method.
To make this meal you will need:
Chicken legs and thighs I used 1 of each for each portion, but adjust as you need
Carrots Allow 1 for each person, but will depend on the size
Mushrooms 6-8 average size, more or less depending on tastes
Tomato I used 1 whole tomato for two portions
Onion I used 1.5, but I love onion
Garlic Again, garlic lover, I used 3 cloves, adjust to your taste
Rice 1/3 cup for each person so make sure no-one goes hungry
Stock/broth Use what you will need for the type and amount of rice
1. Begin be preheating your oven to 350F. Best to make sure the oven is fully heated when you need to use it.
2. Begin by placing chicken pieces skin side down in cold pan and turning heat on medium. This will allow you to slowly render out the chicken giving you better colour and flavour. The goal here is get colour and not to fully cook the chicken. Once the chicken is golden brown, turnover and sear the 2nd side. Season with some salt and pepper. Once the second side is finished, remove from pan and set aside.
3. Add onion to pan and lightly sauté. Once onions have cooked for a few moments, add carrots, again, allowing to cook for a few moments. Follow this with the mushrooms. The goal at this stage is to have everything cooked to the same level of doneness, so you must consider how long each item will take to cook, and start with the longest cooking item.
4. Add the garlic last so that there is no chance of burning the garlic. You can also add any dried herbs that you might want to add for extra flavour. Rosemary, thyme, or oregano would be great options.
5. Add rice to the pan and stir coating the rice with the oil. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the stock/broth and/or water needed for the type and amount of rice that you are cooking. Mix in the diced tomato.
6. Cover and place in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken has hit 170F internal temperature. Now, if you end up with a bit too much liquid like I did, you can place the pan back into the oven with the lid off to allow so of it to evaporate off.
I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I do.
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Have a great day!!