Skillet Braised Chicken Food

EMERIL'S BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• Season the chicken all over with the Essence and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Place the 1/2 cup flour in a small bowl, and quickly dredge both sides of each thigh in the flour, shaking to remove any excess. Set aside.
• Heat 1 teaspoon of the olive oil in a 10- to 12-inch flameproof casserole or saute pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter, and when it has melted, place the chicken, skin side down, in the pan. Brown for 2 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
• Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter to the pan, and when it has melted, add the onions, garlic, thyme bundle or rosemary sprigs, remaining 1/2 teaspoon then whisk in the chicken stock and increase the heat to high. Return the chicken, skin side down, to the pan, and bring the stock to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan with a heavy, tight-fitting lid, and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Uncover the pan, stir the bottom of the pan to prevent scorching, and turn the chicken skin side up. Cover the pan, and simmer for 20 minutes longer.
• Stir the bottom of the pan a final time, re-cover, and simmer for 20 more minutes.
• Remove the pan from the heat and discard the herb bundle or rosemary sprigs. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Add the parsley to the sauce, stir to combine, and then spoon the sauce over the chicken. Serve with steamed white rice.

BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS AND APPLES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degree F. Sprinkle the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large, deep ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Place the chicken in the skillet skin-side down and cook, flipping once, until golden on both sides. Transfer to a plate.
• Reduce the heat to medium, add the thyme and leeks to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Pour in the wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. Cook until the skillet is nearly dry. Stir in the broth, apple cider and a pinch each of salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
• Use a fork to mash the butter and flour together in a small bowl until smooth. Whisk the butter-flour mixture into the skillet until dissolved. Stir in the apples and remove from the heat. Nestle the chicken skin-side up in the skillet along with any collected juices from the plate. Bake until the chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes.

SKILLET-BRAISED CHICKEN

Steps:

• 1. In nonstick 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken thighs; sprinkle with salt. Cook chicken until golden on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to bowl.
• 2. To drippings in skillet, add onion, carrots, and celery, and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are lighly browned, about 10 minutes.
• 3. Return chicken thighs to skillet. Stir in stewed tomatoes; eat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until juices run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced with tip of knife, about 25 minutes. Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley and grated lemon peel, if you like.

SKILLET-ROASTED LEMON CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Place the thyme, fennel seeds, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a mini food processor and process until ground. Pour the olive oil into a small glass measuring cup, stir in the herb mixture, and set aside.
• Distribute the lemon slices in a 12-inch cast iron skillet and distribute the onion and garlic on top. Place the chicken, skin side down, on top of the onion and brush with about half the oil and herb mixture. Turn the chicken skin side up, pat it dry with paper towels (very important!), and brush it all over with the rest of the oil and herb mixture.
• Roast the chicken for 30 minutes. Pour the wine into the pan (not on the chicken!) and roast for another 10 to15 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 155 to 160 degrees.
• Remove the chicken from the oven, sprinkle it with the lemon juice, cover the skillet tightly with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Cut the chicken in quarters or eighths, sprinkle with salt, and serve hot with the pan juices, cooked lemon, and onion.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Quick-cooking polenta made to package directions, or crusty-style bake-off packaged bread such as ciabatta or, fresh crusty bread - pop in freezer if storing more than one night.
• Place the dried mushrooms, and stock in small pot over medium-high heat. Bring to low boil then reduce heat to low and reconstitute.
• Heat a thin layer of olive oil, a couple of turns of the pan, in a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid or a Dutch oven, over medium-high heat. Pat the chicken pieces dry, and season liberally with salt and pepper. To avoid crowding the pan, brown 1/2 the chicken at a time, skin-side down, for 5 minutes, then turn the chicken and brown 3 to 4 minutes more.
• Remove the browned chicken to a plate and add to the pan the sliced fresh mushrooms, browning the mushrooms for 10 to 15 minutes. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, thyme, and bay leaves, salt, and pepper and stir 10 minutes more to soften.
• Deglaze the pot with the Marsala. Add the chicken pieces back to the pot and arrange the vegetables and mushrooms on top. Remove the porcinis from the small pot, roughly chop, and add to chicken. Pour the porcini stock over the chicken, reserving the last couple of spoonfuls, as this is where any grit may have settled.
• Cover and braise at a low simmer for 30 minutes over low heat. Cool and store for a make-ahead meal. Reheat over a medium flame, or in a preheated 325 degree F oven, and heat through 20 to 30 minutes. Serve with quick-cooking polenta or crusty bread, and garnish with chopped celery tops.

SKILLET-BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH CHICKPEAS

Steps:

• Place flour in a shallow dish and dredge chicken thighs, shaking off excess flour. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large cast-iron over high heat. Add the chicken, partially cover the pan and cook until the chicken is nicely browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
• . Reduce heat to medium and add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to the pan. Add chiles and cook until they turn dark, about 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and discard. Add onions and garlic to the pan; cook until soft and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add paprika and marjoram and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, green peppers and salt and pepper to taste; cook for 5 minutes longer.
• Return the chicken to the pan, along with 1/2 cup chicken broth. Cover and simmer until the chicken is tender and no longer pink inside, 20 to 25 minutes
• Add chickpeas and the remaining 1/2 cup chicken broth; simmer for 5 to 8 minutes. Blot any fat that rises to the surface with paper towels. Taste and adjust seasonings. Garnish with parsley.

PROVENCAL BRAISED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Season chicken generously with salt, cayenne and herbs de Provence.
• Place in an oven safe skillet, interspersed with garlic, red pepper and carrot.
• Tuck in the parsly sprigs and pour on stock to almost cover chicken.
• Cover the skillet and braise in the oven until chicken is just cooked through.
• Meanwhile, reduce the vinegar in another saucepan to 2 Tablespoons.
• Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
• Place the skillet on the stove and simmer until vegetables are very soft.
• Remove the parsly and puree the skillet's contents in a blender. ( I used an immersion blender).
• Return sauce to skillet.
• Add the reduced vinegar and tomato paste to the sauce.
• Return the chicken to the pan to reheat gently.
• Serve on a platter with chopped parsly, if desired.