(Almost) Five Ingredients: Braised Chicken

I’ve been trying to keep food bills to a minimum the past few months, so Ramsey and I have been eating a lot of chicken and pasta. There are endless pasta variations that can be easily improvised, but I’ve been searching for more ways to prepare chicken beyond my standbys of roasting and pan-searing. A quick flip through my cookbook library yielded a technique I had never tried in my kitchen before: braising. It calls for searing meat and/or vegetables in a bit of oil, then slowly simmering them in flavorful liquid until they’re cooked through. It’s easy, delicious, and best of all, it’s cheap.

Braising is best for poultry and tougher cuts of meat, as the slow-cooking allows for a breakdown of connective tissue and an infusion of flavor. You can also braise vegetables alone by sauteing them for a few minutes, then adding vegetable or chicken stock and simmering, covered, for an additional 2-3 minutes. I decided to braise both chicken and vegetables with this adapted recipe from Alice Waters’ The Art of Simple Food.

While this recipe doesn’t technically have only five ingredients, it does call for a number of common ingredients you may already have in your pantry (oil, bay leaves, salt, pepper, garlic), so I’m counting it as a Five Ingredients entry.

Braised Chicken Legs
-4 chicken legs (with skin)
-2 tbs. olive oil
-1 red onion, diced large
-1 yellow onion, diced large
-4 garlic cloves, sliced thin
-2 bay leaves
-1 rosemary sprig (keep whole, don’t remove the leaves)
-1 12 oz can whole tomatoes, diced (make sure to include the juice)
-1 cup chicken broth

1. Season the chicken legs with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in the bottom of a large saucepan (that you have a lid for) over medium heat and place the chicken legs in the pan, skin side down. Let them cook about 12 minutes, or until crisp and well browned. Flip and cook for an additional four minutes.

2. Remove the chicken and place on a nearby plate. Add the diced onions to the saucepan and cook until translucent. Add the herbs and garlic and cook for two minutes, stirring often.

3. Add the diced tomatoes and juice, then scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to pull up any brown bits that are still holding on.

Cook for 5 minutes and then place the chicken in the pan, skin side up, on top of the tomatoes and onions.

4. Add the chicken broth, bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer. Cover and cook for 45 minutes.

5. Pour the braising liquid into a medium bowl, remove the bay leaves and rosemary sprig, and skim the fat. This can be done by tilting the bowl to one side, then using a large spoon to scoop out the fat that has collected. Discard the fat by placing it in a small bowl and allowing it to congeal, covered, in the fridge (yes, it’s a bit gross). Once congealed, scrape out the fat and throw it in the trash, unless you want to use it in place of cooking oil in a dish the following day. This will avoid any unfortunate clogs in your kitchen sink.

6. Return the braising liquid to the pan and serve the chicken, topping with the onions and tomatoes and a spoonful of liquid.