Recipes > Braised Chicken and Vegetables
- Serves: 4
- Active Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 1 hr
- Views: 45,758
- Success Rating: 94% (?)
Steps
Step 1: Prepping the Chicken
- 8 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin on (approx. 2 1/2 lb [1100 g])
- kosher salt (to taste)
- freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Method
To prepare the chicken pat it dry with paper towels and then season both sides with salt and pepper.
If you like, you could use an 8-cut chicken instead of just thighs.
Step 2: Prepping the Vegetables
- 4 stalks celery
- 2 medium carrots
- 5 to 10 cloves garlic
- 2 shallots (optional)
Method
To prepare the vegetables, cut the celery into 1" -inch pieces.
For the carrots cut them lengthwise down the middle and then cut again into 1-inch pieces.
To prepare the garlic peel, cut the cloves in half and remove the germ. If using shallots, peel and emincé into thick slices.
Set everything aside while you fry the chicken.
Step 3: Frying the Chicken
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
Method
To start, preheat the oven to 325° Fahrenheit.
To fry the chicken, preheat a 12" -inch heavy skillet over medium high heat.
Once the pan is hot, add the oil and as soon as it starts to shimmer, add half of the chicken, skin-side down.
Fry until the skin is nice and crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes. Do not flip the chicken over. This is a messy job, so stand back or use a splatter guard.
Once the chicken is golden, place onto a plate and continue with the second batch. Once all of the chicken has been seared, pour off the excess fat, leaving behind about 1 tablespoon of oil.
Step 4: Sautéeing the Vegetables
- 1 cup dry white wine (or dry vermouth)
- 1 cup chicken broth, can use stock or water instead
Method
To cook the vegetables, turn the heat down to medium and add the shallots, celery and carrots. Let cook for about 3 minutes until they just start to turn golden.
Then add the garlic and continue to cook for another few minutes, or until they turn a nice golden color.
Once the vegetables have started to soften and color, you can add the wine.
Let the wine come to a boil and then reduce by about half. Then add the broth and bring to a simmer.
Step 5: Cooking the Dish
Method
As soon as the liquid comes back up to a simmer, add the chicken back to the pan, skin side up.
Then cover and place into the oven to cook. Let cook for about 30 to 40 minutes or until cooked through.
BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU REMOVE THE PAN FROM THE OVEN…IT WILL BE EXTREMELY HOT – PLACE AN OVEN MITT ON THE HANDLE.
Alternatively, you could cook the entire dish on the stove top. Keep partially covered and let simmer for about 30 minutes, or again, until cooked through.
We like to cook the chicken with the skin on, for added flavor and moisture. Keep in mind that the skin will be soggy once done. You can either serve it with or without the skin, it’s up to you.
Serve with mashed potatoes or rice.
16 Comments
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Delicious. And so simple. I didn't have any white wine so used red and it was still great. Also added some sliced bacon and a bit of thyme and tarragon. Served with some mustard chilli mash. A definite keeper for a quick, tasty and warming winter supper. -
any non alcoholic substitute for white wine or other wines in general? -
You can substitute quite a few things for white wine. Stock is often a good start. But instead of substituting the entire amount you could cut it with a bit of vinegar. For example, instead of using just substituting 1/4 cup of white wine with just stock, try combining 3 tablespoons of stock with 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar, lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to give the liquid some acidity. Taste it before using to see if you like the flavor, and adjust to your liking. Lemon juice is another way to give a dish a nice bright punch of flavor. For more, see the lesson on "How to Make a Pan Sauce" or check out link to "Substitutions for Alcohol in Cooking". Hope that helps. Cheers! -
thank you. will try the substitutes and give feedback. that was a prompt response!
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Dawn, I loved your recipe and was supprised how easy it was and how I got to practice so many different skills I have learned. I used Chicken Breast (wife likes white meat) and practiced my "honing skills" to get knife sharp enough to slice the meat in half horizpntally after removing the tenderloin section. I got my pan to the exact temperature to "Fry" the breasts, and the sucs I had left were so plentiful and beautifully golden brown that I was nearly drolling at thinking of the sauce I was going to make with them. I "sauteed" the veg's and made a very flavorful "pan sauce" to put over the chicken and rice (I made for the side dish). I did not put in oven to braise, but used the stove top "cooking method" on simmer for a few minutes. Needless to say, it was "perfect" only because of the skills I have learned at Rouxbe! Thanks to all of you for such teaching method. I got to practice 5 skills that I learned! -
So glad that you liked the recipe Jim. But mostly I am elated that you were able to see how much you have learned and how much you were able to put into practice with just one recipe. I am proud of you!! Keep up the great work Jim. Cheers!
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Would it be acceptable to finish cooking with the lid off in order to retain the crispy skin? Maybe just add more liquid to account for the additional evaporation with the lid off? Thanks.
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Rouxbe Staff
Hi Jon, the classic approach to braising is to use a lid to maintain heat in the pot and modulate the temperature as the item cooks in its sauce. Even without a lid, it's also likely that as the item cooks in the pan with lots of moisture, the steam would soften crispy skin. So, instead, consider cooking the item to the proper doneness (fork tender, well-done), then finish it in a hot pan to add crispness to the skin. ~Eric -
thank you
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i dont drink alcohol so how do i approach this recipe? -
are the vegetables meant to be crunchy ? can i give any of the vegetables such as the carrots and celery in the microwave?
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Rouxbe Staff
Hi Riaz, in place of the wine, use broth. And, as a braised dish, the vegetables should be soft. And, you can certainly incorporate a microwave oven in a way that fits your situation. Enjoy! Eric
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eric what would the mirapoix be in grams and what size cuts am i meant to use?
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there is no mention of salt in this recipe? can you prove a basic baseline seasonibg wise to work with for this recipe? im a big fan of salt.
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I have a 9 inch stainless steel skillet. I did all the weighing of the chicken. I ended up with three skin on bone in chicken thighs that were a total of 3 times 150 grams each to a total of 450. Shall I use the conversion of chicken to liquid in this recipe or use the guidelines of adding two thirds the height of the chicken with liquid as in braising rules ? P.s I'm not using the oven as I dont own one so advice on stove top braising this fish would be very helpful. Thank you for your guidance it's very appreciated.
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Rouxbe Staff
Hi Riaz, principles of braising include maintaining a gentle simmer (the lower end of 185-205 degrees F or 85-95 degrees C) and adding liquid to about two-thirds the height of the food item. Enjoy! ~Eric
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