Braised Chicken Legs In Tomato Sauce Food

BRAISED CHICKEN IN AROMATIC TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chicken in batches and cook until brown on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Place chicken on platter. Add onions to Dutch oven; sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add spices; stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and their juices and water. Return chicken to Dutch oven. Cover; simmer over medium-low heat until chicken is very tender, about 35 minutes.
• Transfer chicken to platter. Tent with foil. Add 2 tablespoons vinegar, tomato paste and sugar to Dutch oven. Simmer until thickened to sauce consistency, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and more vinegar, if desired. Remove from heat. Cover to keep warm.
• Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Transfer pasta to platter. Top with chicken, sauce and cheese.

BRAISED CHICKEN LEGS WITH OLIVES AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• In a large heavy skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil until almost smoking.
• Season the chicken legs with salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat until well browned, about 5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan and pour off the fat.
• Heat 2 more tablespoons of oil in the skillet. Add the onion and 3 of the garlic cloves and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until softened, about 7 minutes.
• Add the chicken to the skillet with the tomatoes, wine and rosemary; season with pepper and bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. Season with salt. Transfer the chicken to plates and keep warm.
• Meanwhile, in a food processor, pulse the olives with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and 1 garlic clove to a coarse paste.
• Stir the olive paste into the pan sauce and warm over moderate heat. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH TOMATOES, CUMIN AND FETA

Steps:

• Pat the chicken dry, trim away excess fat, then season well all over with salt, pepper and 2 teaspoons cumin.
• Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy 12-inch skillet over medium until shimmering. Add the chicken thighs, skin-side down. (It's OK if they are a little snug; they will shrink as they cook.) Cook without moving until the skin is crispy and easily releases from the pan, about 8 to 10 minutes. Use tongs to turn over and cook until the bottom is lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes more, then transfer to a plate.
• Add the onions to the rendered chicken fat in the skillet, season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to soften, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon cumin and the garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the harissa and let cook for about 1 minute. Add the crushed tomatoes, and season with salt. Bring the mixture to a boil over high, then adjust the temperature to maintain an active simmer. Cook until it becomes a deeper red color, about 5 minutes more.
• Add any juices that collected on the plate, stir to mix, then nestle in the chicken thighs, skin-side up, so that the skin is above the sauce. Adjust the heat to maintain a simmer, then partly cover and cook until the chicken is tender and cooked through, 15 to 18 minutes. (If you'd like crispier skin, pop the chicken under the broiler for a minute or two.)
• Garnish with the feta and cilantro and serve with bread or herbed rice.

CAL PETERNELL'S BRAISED CHICKEN LEGS

Steps:

• Season chicken legs with salt and pepper and let them sit for a while, 15 minutes to an hour, or overnight in the refrigerator.
• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a cup or two of flour in a large bowl, add half the chicken and tumble the legs around to coat.
• Set a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl in 2 tablespoons oil or butter and allow to melt and foam. Shake excess flour off the chicken legs and slide them into the hot pan in one layer; adjust the heat so the legs are sizzling nicely. When the legs begin to brown, after about 5 minutes, turn them over to brown the other side, an additional 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the chicken to a platter and repeat with remaining legs, adding more oil or butter if the pan seems dry.
• Pour off the grease in the pan and add the wine or other liquid to the skillet, scraping at the sticky bits. Let simmer over medium heat until pan is completely deglazed. Pour that liquid into a small bowl and set aside.
• Add remaining oil or butter to the pan and allow it to heat. Add onion, carrot, celery and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened nicely, approximately 10 minutes. Add garlic, thyme and bay leaf and cook for a minute or so, then return all the chicken to the pan, skin side up, along with the reserved glazing liquid and between 1 and 3 cups stock or water, enough to come up the sides of the chicken but not to get them swimming. Bring to a simmer and then put the skillet in the oven.
• After 5 minutes or so, reduce the oven heat to 325 degrees and cook until chicken is very tender, 30 to 40 minutes. (Test for doneness by inserting a slender-bladed knife into the meat. It should pull out easily.) Remove the skillet from the oven, lift the legs from the skillet and put them aside again. Pour the liquid contents of the skillet into a small bowl and allow it to sit for 5 minutes or so, letting the fat rise to the surface. Use a small ladle to skim off and discard the fat, then return liquid to the pan, along with the chicken. Bring back to a simmer on the stovetop, then return to the oven for 5 minutes or so before serving, sprinkled with the chopped parsley, or save to reheat later.

BRAISED CHICKEN LEGS AND THIGHS WITH TOMATOES, POTATOES, OLIVES AND CAPERS

Steps:

• Let the chicken come to room temperature, then pat the pieces dry and season with salt and pepper. Place the flour in a shallow, flat container and dredge the chicken in the flour, shaking off any excess. Set aside.
• In a large heavy-bottomed skillet or a Dutch oven designed for braising, heat the oil over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add the butter, let it melt and heat until it begins to turn brown, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken and cook until browned on all sides, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a large platter and set aside.
• Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the skillet and return the skillet to the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 1 minute. Add the wine and deglaze the pan, scraping the brown bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, and cook until the wine has reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the stock and tomatoes and raise the heat to high and bring the liquid to a boil. The add the potatoes, olives, capers, and thyme, and stir to combine. Bring the liquid to a boil again, then reduce the heat to low so the liquid is simmering, and return the chicken to the pan. Cover and cook until the chicken is tender and the potatoes can be easily pierced with a knife, 25 to 35 minutes.
• To serve, place one chicken leg and one thigh in each of four shallow bowls. Spoon the sauce on top, getting some of the tomatoes, potatoes, olives and capers in each portion. Serve immediately.
• Place the chicken, carrots, celery, onion, parsley and thyme in an 8-quart stockpot. Add enough water to come up to 2 inches from the top of the pot. Place the pot over high heat and bring the liquid to a lively simmer--do not let the liquid boil. As soon as the liquid starts to simmer, reduce the heat so that you maintain a lively simmer throughout. (This could be anywhere from low to medium heat depending on the strength of your range.) Skim off any gray scum that floats to the top of the stock. Cook the stock, uncovered, for about 2 1/2 hours -- it should reduce in volume by one-quarter to one-third. Strain the stock through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl or clean stockpot, pressing on the solids in the strainer to extract all the liquid. If you like, season with salt to taste--I prefer to keep my stock salt-free.
• Use right away or transfer to air tight containers and refrigerate or freeze. The stock will keep for up to 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH TOMATOES, OLIVES AND CAPERS

Steps:

• Put the oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When it's hot, add the chicken, skin side down. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook undisturbed, adjusting the heat so the chicken doesn't burn, until the pieces are browned on the bottom and release easily from the skillet, 5 to 10 minutes. Continue cooking, turning the chicken every few minutes, until it's brown all over, 5 to 10 minutes more. Remove the chicken from the pan and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat.
• Add the onions and capers and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and tomatoes; cook until the mixture starts to bubble and the tomatoes thicken slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the wine and let the mixture bubble for another 2 minutes.
• Add the olives and thyme, and return the chicken to the skillet, nestling the pieces into the sauce. Adjust the heat so the liquid bubbles gently but steadily, then cover the skillet. Cook, turning the chicken every 10 minutes or so and adding a splash of stock or water if the sauce looks too dry, until the chicken is tender and cooked through, 20 to 30 minutes (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh should read 155 to 165). Taste the sauce, and adjust the seasoning. Garnish with the parsley, and serve.

BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH TOMATOES, PEPPERS AND ONIONS

Steps:

• Place a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add a film of olive oil. Sprinkle the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper and then add to the pan skin-side down. Cook without moving too much until golden brown and crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. Flip and brown on the other side for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside.
• Drain half of the fat from the pan and then place it back over the heat. Add the sausage to the pan, breaking it up as you add it. Brown for 1 to 2 minutes while continuing to break it up with the back of a spoon. Stir in the onions, peppers and garlic with a pinch of salt and cook until the onions begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and then add the tomatoes, chicken stock and oregano, scraping the bottom of the pan for brown bits.
• Nestle the chicken back in, cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Stir in the vinegar and parsley and serve.

BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS AND LEGS WITH TOMATO

Steps:

• Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over high heat. Arrange the chicken thighs and legs on a tray in a single layer and season them with salt, to taste. Turn the pieces on their other side and season again. When the oil begins to smoke lightly, carefully add the chicken to the oil. Do not overcrowd the pan. Resist the temptation to move or turn the pieces. Allow them to brown on their first side, about 3 to 5 minutes. Use metal tongs to turn the chicken pieces to sear their second side, about 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a tray and set it aside.
• In the same skillet, add the cumin seeds and chili flakes, stirring rapidly to give them a quick toast, about 10 to 15 seconds. Add the onions, ginger and garlic and stir to combine. Season the ingredients with salt, to taste, then add the tomatoes, cinnamon, and bay leaves. Allow the mixture to cook and all the flavors to come together, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken back to the pan, keep the heat low and continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through, 30 to 45 minutes. (Chef's note: If the sauce becomes overly thick or begins to stick to the bottom of the skillet, feel free to add some water, about 1/2 cup at a time.)
• When the chicken is cooked through, remove and discard the cinnamon sticks and bay leaves. Taste for seasoning and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve alongside the braised cabbage, if desired.