5 Tips for Braised Perfection with Chicken
By David Latt
If you haven't tried braising before, this is the season to challenge yourself and learn a simple, easy, one-pot, cold-weather cooking technique. The resulting meat is fall-off-the-bone tender. Adding fresh vegetables and herbs completes the dish. Using bacon with its smoky flavor and good fat content adds even more flavor.
Looking out my window this winter, what I need is a good dose of comfort food. I learned many of the cooking techniques I use from my mother and grandmother. But braising wasn't one of them. They sautéed, baked and boiled. I don't know why braising wasn't in their kitchen arsenal. Happily, I learned the technique years ago and use it frequently because the vegetables and the protein (poultry and meat) make the sauce.
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If you know how to sauté and boil, you know how to braise
By first sautéing poultry or meat, fat in the skin or muscle caramelizes. That first step benefits braises as well as roasts. In the debate about whether a pot roast should be seared before roasting, I am definitely on the side of the searers!
Here are tips for the perfect braise:
1. Searing means lightly browned: Use a medium flame
Be careful you don't burn the outside. Some chefs recommend using high heat to sear. I prefer a medium flame to control oil from splattering and to protect the delicate crust I am creating. Over-searing creates bitterness. Lightly browning brings out the sweetness, which is the goal.
2. Try a braise with pasta
Then, after the excess fat is poured off and a liquid is added -- and that can be water, stock or wine or a combination thereof -- the sweetness from the vegetables and protein transfers to the liquid, helping create a full-bodied, luscious broth. You can adjust the amount of broth to your taste. Sometimes I like to serve the braise with a lot of broth so it is almost like a country style soup. If I want the braise tossed with pasta, I'll cook down the broth so it becomes a sauce.
3. With chicken, braising works best with bone-in parts
Lesser grades of meat, like beef short ribs, when braised, become the objects of fine dining. With chicken, braising works best with the bone-in parts, such as thighs, legs and wings. Chicken breasts can be braised, but they cook more quickly and can dry out.
4. What if you want the chicken de-boned?
If you prefer to serve deboned, bite-sized pieces, braise the bones along with the chicken pieces and remove the bones before serving.
5. How do you avoid mushy vegetables?
Add the vegetables after the meat is tender to avoid overcooking.
Bacon Braised Chicken
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 chicken thighs
2 chicken wings, disjointed, tips used to make stock
2 chicken legs
2 bacon strips, finely chopped
1 cup shiitake or brown mushrooms, washed, dried, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled, finely chopped
1 medium onion, peeled, root and top removed, roughly chopped
1 cup Italian parsley, washed, leaves only, roughly chopped
2 carrots, washed, peeled, ends removed, cut into ½-inch thick rounds or roughly chopped
2 cups broccoli crowns, washed, separated into individual florets
1 cup corn kernels, off the cob
4 cups chicken stock or 2 cups chicken stock and 2 cups water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sweet butter (optional)
sea salt and black pepper to taste
Directions
1. In a 3- to 4- quart stock pot, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and season with sea salt and pepper. Add the finely chopped bacon and cook until crisp. Remove the bacon bits and drain on a paper towel.
2. Sauté the chicken pieces in the olive oil and bacon fat until lightly browned on all sides. Remove the chicken and drain on a paper towel.
3. Pour the accumulated oil into a coffee can for disposal. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, heat and season with sea salt and pepper. Sauté garlic, onions and mushrooms until lightly browned, add the parsley, bacon bits and chicken pieces.
4. Add the 4 cups of stock or a mix of stock and water. Stir well to combine. Cover and simmer 30 to 40 minutes or until the meat is tender.
5. Add the carrots and broccoli florets and, if the volume of liquid is too low, 1 cup of water. Continue simmering another 10 minutes uncovered or until the vegetables are tender.
6. Taste and adjust the seasoning with sea salt and pepper as needed. Add the pat of sweet butter if desired.
7. Serve with slices of fresh bread with butter, mashed potatoes, freshly made pasta or steamed rice.
Related: Check out these 8 variations to this recipe
Zester Daily contributor David Latt is a television writer/producer with a passion for food. His new book is "10 Delicious Holiday Recipes." He also writes about food for his own site, Men Who Like to Cook.
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