Braised Chicken and Vegetables

Three Christmas holiday parties in three days. Ex. Hausting. The first for job #1 with the menu I gushed about in the last post [I totally ordered exactly what I thought I would, and I loved it]. The second was for job #2 at a fancy-pants country club. The third was for Andrew’s soccer team at Aalto Lounge. All were completely different from one another, but my little black dress put in a lot of work. I’m glad I picked up something new this year.

I wish I could say I spent most of the day napping, but it really became all about Henry Higgins Boiled Bagels with salmon cream cheese, an Americano from Half Pint Cafe, soup making, baked oatmeal making, and a lot of cleaning and laundry. Sundays are good for that sort of thing.

Is it possible for braised chicken to actually look appetizing? I apologize if it utterly grosses you out. You can’t win them all. It still tastes good, and if I hadn’t dumped a ton of braising sauce all over it, maybe it wouldn’t have washed away all of the spices I had coating every square inch of the bird.

The total appeal to this is making it all in one pan. Laziness reigns supreme. A true cast iron pan would probably kick so much ass for something like this, but considering mine never stays seasoned, I went with the porcelain coated one. Again, lazy. You could use just about any sturdy vegetables you want in something like this. Something that holds up to heat and a steady deluge of liquid. I ultimately went for something equal parts comforting and variety—red potatoes, carrots, and brussels. These were the bottom of the barrel at the store, but totally salvageable when you peel off the first few layers and quarterly accordingly. You’d never know.

Paprika and vermouth play so nicely with the chicken. I’m surprised I had both, but totally and utterly worth getting just for a new flavor profile on the usual chicken standby.

Inspiration: William Sonoma

Ingredients

• 1 1/2lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• Red onion, chopped
• 1lb red potatoes, halved or quartered depending on the size. Bite sized.
• 3 or 4 carrots, peeled, quartered and cut into 2″ pieces
• 6 brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/3 cup dry vermouth
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh thyme
• paprika
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Preparation

Season the chicken with a heavy coating of salt, pepper, and paprika. Heat a two tablespoons of olive oil in your large pan on medium-high heat. Add the chicken in one even layer. Cook them for about 2-3 minutes on each side until nice and browned. Remove to a plate to keep warm.

In the same pan, add the onion. After 5-6 minutes, add the potatoes, carrots, and brussels. Season with salt and pepper and stir occasionally as they brown. Sprinkle the vegetables with the flour, and once it turns brown, slowly pour in the broth and the vermouth. Bring the liquid to a boil, and really scrape the browned bits off the bottom of your pan. Add the chicken.

Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the pan. Simmer for about 25 minutes so the chicken is cooked through. Sprinkle the mixture with the thyme and taste for additional salt and pepper. Serve.