Braised Chicken Legs With Grapes And Fennel Food

CHICKEN BRAISED WITH GRAPES

Steps:

• Pat chicken parts dry. Melt butter in a 4-quart casserole. Brown chicken on both sides, a few pieces at a time, over medium-high heat, removing pieces to a platter as they finish. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium.
• Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, a couple of minutes until soft. Stir in sherry vinegar, chicken stock and cardamom. Return chicken to the pot and baste with stock mixture. Place grape bunches in pot, add thyme, cover and reduce heat to very low. Let cook 30 minutes. Chicken juices should run clear when thigh or leg is pierced with the tip of a knife.
• Transfer chicken to a warm serving platter and arrange grape clusters on top and around chicken. Tent with foil to keep warm. Heat pot on high, stir in balsamic vinegar and cook 2 to 3 minutes until sauce is somewhat reduced and thickened. Check seasoning. Discard thyme. Spoon sauce over chicken and grapes, and serve.

BRAISED CHICKEN LEGS WITH GRAPES AND FENNEL

Steps:

• Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 375°F. Season chicken legs all over with 3 tsp. salt.
• Swirl 1 Tbsp. oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot to coat and heat over medium-high. Place 2 chicken legs, skin side down, in pot, making sure skin is in direct contact with pan. Cook, undisturbed, until dark golden, about 5 minutes. Turn over and cook until golden on other side, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a large plate. Repeat with remaining 2 chicken legs; reserve pot.
• Meanwhile, working one at a time, stand a bulb, root end down, on a cutting board and slice off a short end to create a flat surface. Turn cut side down and slice ½" thick, starting from the top end of bulb so the root end can hold the layers in place while you slice. Discard last ¼" (root end) of each bulb and pop out and discard tougher center from slices. Transfer fennel to a large bowl and add half of the grapes, ½ tsp. salt, and remaining 1 Tbsp. oil; toss to coat. Set aside.
• Reduce heat to medium and combine broth, honey, chile paste, and remaining 1 tsp. salt in reserved pot. Stir to combine and dissolve salt. Place remaining grapes in pot and arrange chicken legs, skin side up and overlapping if needed, over grapes. Top with dressed fennel and grapes. (Don't worry if it looks crowded: Fennel will soften as it cooks.)
• Transfer pot, uncovered, to oven and roast until fennel is slightly softened, with some crispy, caramelized edges, grapes on top are swollen and browned in spots, and chicken is cooked through, 30-40 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon or tongs, transfer grapes and fennel to a bowl and chicken to a platter. Place pot over medium-high heat and bring braising liquid to a simmer. Cook until reduced by half (you should have about 1 cup liquid), 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vinegar and fennel fronds.
• Spoon sauce over chicken and serve with fennel and grapes alongside.

CHICKEN THIGHS WITH GRAPEFRUIT-FENNEL SALAD

Steps:

• Place a baking sheet on the bottom oven rack and preheat to 475 degrees F. Coarsely grind the coriander and fennel seeds in a spice grinder or crush with a heavy skillet. Put the chicken in a large bowl and sprinkle with the spices; season with salt and pepper and toss well.
• Drizzle the baguette slices with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Heat a large skillet over high heat; add 2 teaspoons olive oil. Add the chicken and cook until browned on the bottom, 3 minutes. Flip and cook until browned on the other side, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Carefully arrange the baguette slices on the hot baking sheet. Put 1 chicken thigh on each baguette slice. Roast on the bottom rack until the chicken is cooked through and the baguette is browned and crisp on the bottom, 15 to 17 minutes.
• Meanwhile, peel the grapefruits with a paring knife; cut out the segments and transfer to a bowl. Squeeze in the juices from the membranes and add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Trim and core the fennel; finely chop the fennel bulb and 1/4 cup fronds and add to the bowl along with the parsley. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and toss well.
• Divide the bread and chicken among plates. Spoon the grapefruit-fennel salad over the chicken and top with the cheese.

PAN ROASTED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH GRAPES AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Sprinkle the chicken liberally with salt and pepper. Heat the canola oil in a large, ovenproof high-sided skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Sear the chicken, skin-side down, until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Then flip and brown the other side, 3 to 4 minutes. You may need to do this in two batches to avoid crowding the skillet. Transfer the browned chicken and any juices to a baking sheet or large plate.
• Lower the heat to medium and add the garlic, 1 cup of the grapes, the olives, capers, oregano, wine and 1/2 cup water. Stir to combine and cook until the liquid has reduced by half, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the butter. Add the chicken and any juices back to the skillet, skin-side-up. Sprinkle the remaining grapes around the chicken. Continue cooking over medium heat until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Set the oven to broil with a rack set about 4 inches from the broiler.
• Place the skillet underneath the broiler to crisp the chicken skin, about 2 minutes. Watch carefully to avoid burning.
• To serve, divide the warm couscous among 4 plates and top each plate with 2 of the chicken thighs and a large spoonful of the sauce.

BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH CARAMELIZED FENNEL & LEEKS

Steps:

• Trim fennel bulbs, and set aside fronds. In a blender or food processor, pulse about 1/2 cup fronds, garlic, lemon zest and 1/4 teaspoon salt until finely chopped. Add 1/3 cup oil and purée.
• Halve fennel bulbs lengthwise. Slice thinly with a mandoline or very sharp knife.
• clean and thinly slice leaks.
• Season chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over high heat. Brown chicken until skin is crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate, leaving drippings in pan.
• Stir fennel seeds into skillet and cook for 30 seconds. Add the sliced fennel, leeks and onion, seasoning with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Reduce heat to medium and cook, tossing occasionally, until vegetables are caramelized, 15 to 20 minutes. Add Pernod and scrape up any browned bits in the bottom of the skillet; cook until liquid has evaporated, about 1 minute.
• Lay chicken on top of the fennel-onion mixture. Pour 3 tablespoons water into the pan. Cover skillet and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until chicken is just cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Uncover and cook off any excess liquid if necessary. Stir in lemon juice.
• Serve chicken and vegetables topped with generous dollops of the fennel frond purée.

BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH CARAMELIZED FENNEL

Steps:

• Trim fennel bulbs, and set aside fronds. In a blender or food processor, pulse about 1/2 cup fronds, garlic, lemon zest and 1/4 teaspoon salt until finely chopped. Add 1/3 cup oil and purée.
• Halve fennel bulbs lengthwise. Slice thinly with a mandoline or very sharp knife.
• Season chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over high heat. Brown chicken until skin is crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate, leaving drippings in pan.
• Stir fennel seeds into skillet and cook for 30 seconds. Add sliced fennel and onion, seasoning with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Reduce heat to medium and cook, tossing occasionally, until vegetables are caramelized, 15 to 20 minutes. Add Pernod and scrape up any browned bits in the bottom of the skillet; cook until liquid has evaporated, about 1 minute.
• Lay chicken on top of the fennel-onion mixture. Pour 3 tablespoons water into the pan. Cover skillet and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until chicken is just cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Uncover and cook off any excess liquid if necessary. Stir in lemon juice.
• Serve chicken and vegetables topped with generous dollops of the fennel frond purée.

BEER BRAISED CHICKEN WITH BACON AND FENNEL

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a Dutch oven, cook the bacon until nice and crispy. Remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and crumble when cooled.
• Pat the chicken dry and season on all sides with salt and pepper.
• If your bacon did not render enough fat, add a bit of olive oil.
• Sear the chicken on all sides in the pan with the rendered bacon fat, until the outside is brown and crispy. Remove the chicken to a plate.
• Add the fennel to the pan. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and saute until caramelized and tender, about 10 minutes. Add a little olive oil if necessary.
• (Add a little water if the fennel starts to burn). Alternately, I added a splash of beer to deglaze the pan.
• Pour in the beer, scrape up any bits that are on the bottom of your pan and bring it to a simmer. Nestle the chicken and all resting juices, breast side down, in the fennel and beer.
• Cover and transfer the pan to the oven. Roast for 35 to 45 minutes, flipping the chicken over after 20 minutes. Cooking time may vary depending on the thickness of the chicken breasts.
• Remove the pan from the oven and put over low heat.
• Remove the chicken pieces to a warmed serving platter.
• Add the vinegar to the sauce and simmer to reduce to a thicker consistency, about 5 minutes. NOTE: Check for seasonings, add salt & pepper to taste. Add more cider vinegar for more of a twang.
• Pour the sauce over the chicken pieces, top with crumbled bacon and serve immediately.
• If you want a smoother sauce, just strain the sauce after it has reduced.
• I served with recipe#485414 and buttered egg noodles.