Braised Chicken and Root Vegetables

Ease into the comfort food of Fall with this savory, rich satisfying ragout. Basically a riff on the classic Coq au Vin, we’ve used a white wine for brighter flavor and simplified the ingredient list. Serve with lots of crusty, good-quality bread for mopping up all of the flavorful juices. This recipe makes 6 servings.

PREP TIME: 30 minutes
COOK TIME: 1 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients
2 pounds chicken legs, thighs and drumsticks, skin on
2 carrots, cleaned and sliced into 1/4” rounds
8 ounces brown or white mushrooms, brushed clean and quartered
8 ounce white or red pearl onions (see cook’s note below)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup dry white wine or chicken stock
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons butter
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
Flour, for dredging
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions
Preheat your oven to 375 F and make sure rack is positioned low enough in the oven to accommodate your Dutch oven.

Dredge chicken pieces in flour and shape off excess. Place on a dish and set aside.

Heat a Dutch oven to medium-high. Add oil. When oil is shimmering, add chicken pieces and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, flipping with kitchen tongs; you my have to do this step in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan. Remove chicken to a plate. Add carrots, onions, mushrooms and butter. Stir to coat vegetables with oil and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for one minute more. Add wine to the pot to deglaze the pan, making sure to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Let wine cook for 3 minutes.

Add chicken pieces back to the pan, making sure to nestle down into the liquid. Add thyme and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper. Cover pan and place in oven. Cook for 45 minutes to an hour, until the chicken’s juices run clear. Remove pan from oven and let stand for 10 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.

Cooks note: to peel pearl onions, heat a pot of water to boiling. Slice root ends off of each onion with a sharp knife. Drop onions into water and blanche for 30 seconds. Remove from water immediately with a slotted spoon and drop into an ice bath for a few minutes to halt the cooking process. Drain onions and peel the skins off with your hands.