Braised Chicken with Asparagus, Peas and Melted Leeks

         A braise may not strike you as a Spring preparation at all.  Aren’t braises hearty affairs that build flavor by the hours they spend in the oven?  Aren’t they winter warmers and not something you’d expect to see any time after May 1^st?  Well it turns out that this dish, with its medley of fresh, Spring vegetables topped with crispy-skinned, fennel scented Chicken thighs and then lapped with the lightest of lemon-y butter-y broths, proves that a braise is great way to salute Spring.

        

Mindy Fox

The recipe is from Epicurious. Its author is Mindy Fox, a woman who certainly knows her way around a chicken.  In 2010 she published her first cookbook: “ A Bird in the Oven and then some” (Kyle) which mysteriously had its name changed when it was re-released as “The Perfectly Roasted Chicken” (Kyle 2013). She was a staff writer for both Saveur and the late-lamented La Cucina Italiana, which sadly folded in 2014 after 7 years of US publication.   Fox was a professional cook in Boston before pursuing her award-winning food-writing career.          

But of all her accomplishments, the one that stood out for me is her participation as a member of the Culinary Council of The Sylvia Center.  This program conducts cooking classes in public housing community centers throughout New York City.  Here, New Yorkers as young as 7 and their families, are exposed to seasonally selected fresh food and the cooking techniques needed to prepare simple, healthy meals.   From April thorough November, the program extends to Upstate

New York.  At their organic Katchkie Farm in Kinderhook, in Columbia County, they host children for hands-on farm to table cooking experiences to support what they have learned in New York City. How appropriate that the farm is in Kinderhook which translated from the Dutch “Kinderhoek”, means “Children’s Corner”. To find out more about the Sylvia Center, go to www.sylviacenter.org.

This dish is one of those where you don’t have to be slave to the stove.  The prep time is minimal and involves two large skillets, one for the chicken and one for everything else. What does take a few minutes is the slow cooking time of the leeks which provide a sweet balance to the Asparagus and Peas. That same skillet is set aside for the vegetable medley, which is cooked in the last 5 minutes.  The chicken itself cooks in two stages and for the best part of a half hour.  In between steps, you’ll have time to pour yourself a glass of white wine to go with your beautiful supper. Here is Mindy Fox’s recipe:

Recipe for Braised Chicken with Asparagus, Peas and Melted Leeks.  Serves 4. Active Time: 20 Minutes Total Time 55 Minutes

(I easily halved this recipe for the two of us, however I did not

cut back appreciably on the sauce. )

 

2 medium leeks, white and light-green parts only, cut crosswise into 1/3-inch rounds

1/4 cup olive oil, divided

2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more

2 teaspoons whole fennel seeds

8 bone-in chicken thighs (about 4 pounds)

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

3/4 pound medium asparagus, trimmed, cut crosswise in half and on the bias

2 cups shelled fresh peas (from about 2 pounds pods) or frozen peas, thawed

1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, divided

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons chopped dill

 

1. If you see or feel dirt in the leeks, rinse well, separating layers, then pat dry; otherwise, leave rounds intact.

 

2. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high until hot but not smoking. Add leeks in a single layer; season with 1/4 tsp. salt and a pinch of pepper. Reduce heat to low and cook, turning once, until leeks are lightly golden, 16–18 minutes. Transfer leeks to a plate; reserve skillet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Lightly crush fennel seeds with the bottom of a heavy skillet or pot. Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels and season with fennel, 1 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Heat remaining 2 Tbsp. oil in a 5–7-qt. Dutch oven or large wide saucepan over medium-high. Cook thighs, skin side down, until well-browned, 12–14 minutes. Transfer skin side up to a plate. Pour off and discard fat.

 

4. Add wine to pot, bring to a simmer, and cook, scraping up bits from bottom of pot, 1 minute. Add broth and return chicken skin side up to pot. Lower heat to medium-low, cover pot, and cook until chicken is cooked through, 15–18 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

5. Meanwhile, combine asparagus, peas, and 2 Tbsp. water in reserved skillet, cover, and cook over medium heat until asparagus is crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add 1/2 tsp. lemon zest, remaining 1/4 tsp. salt, and a pinch of pepper; stir gently to just combine.

 

 

 

 

6. Divide chicken, asparagus mixture, and reserved leeks among large shallow bowls. Bring broth to a simmer, add lemon juice, then ladle into bowls. Top with dill and remaining 1 Tbsp. lemon zest.