WINE-BRAISED CHICKEN WITH BACON, VEGGIES AND HERBS
As the weather cools down in the late fall season, there’s nothing I love more than cooking a big one-pot comforting dish on a Sunday afternoon. One-pot dishes are so easy to make, and the enticing smells from the oven are enough to wipe out any winter blues that might be starting.
I love making hearty braised dishes with meat and vegetables, especially in my KitchenAid® 6.0Qt Cast Iron Cookware. It’s big enough to make a meal for a crowd, and it’s enameled with cast iron inside which makes it the perfect vessel to cook slow braised dishes, roasts, stews, soups, chilis and any one-pot meals.
It even has a grill pan inside the lid! How cool is that?
I decided to make a Wine-Braised Chicken dish with shallots, bacon, cipollini onions, garlic, fresh herbs, bacon and carrots. It’s a delicious slow-cooked dish involving white wine, chicken broth, and a creamy au jus sauce over the top.
First I seared the chicken in the pot for a few minutes to get a nice golden brown color on the skin.
Then I cooked the bacon and sautéed the veggies for about 7-10 minutes. I added the wine, chicken broth and herbs, and popped the dish into the oven. I let it braise covered, for about 30-45 minutes.
Once the chicken and veggies were done, I removed them from the pot along with the herbs, and reduced the wine and broth down to half to make the sauce. I simply added some cream, salt and pepper and served the sauce over the chicken and vegetables.
Delicious comfort food for a cold evening! And it’s so easy when you have awesome Cast Iron Cookware like this one. It’s so simple to clean and great for cooking just about anything!
I’d love to hear what you would make in your KitchenAid® Cast Iron Cookware by experimenting with my recipe. Would you use a different meat, like beef or pork? What vegetables would you substitute or add? Share your take on this Wine-Braised Chicken recipe with us on Instagram using #MadeWithKitchenAid for a chance to be featured!
WINE-BRAISED CHICKEN WITH BACON, VEGGIES AND HERBS
Makes 4-6 servingsINGREDIENTS
1/4 cup olive oil
4 boneless, skin-on chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 pounds)
4 chicken drumsticks (about 1 1/2 pounds)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
5 slices of thick center-cut bacon, cut into 3/4-inch dice
6 large shallots, halved
4-6 small Cipollini onions, peeled
2 large carrots, halved and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
2 large cloves of garlic, chopped fine
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
1-2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 bay leaves
2 cups white wine (Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc or Riesling)
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 cup Half and Half or heavy cream
1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, for garnish
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
Season chicken with salt and pepper and heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in your KitchenAid® 6.0Qt Cast Iron Cookware.
Place chicken in the pot skin-side down in an even layer and sear for 10-13 minutes, flipping once, until chicken is golden brown, transfer to a plate.
Cook the bacon in the same pot until browned all over, transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels, set aside. Discard fat from cookware.
Heat remaining olive oil in the same pot over medium-high heat and saute the shallots, onions and carrots for about 7 minutes until browned. Add the garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
Wrap the thyme, rosemary and bay leaves into a small cheesecloth sachet and add the herb bundle to the pot.
Add the wine and simmer for a few minutes, scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pot.
Add the broth and return the chicken and bacon to the pot in a single layer on top of the vegetables and herb bundle. Bring to a simmer, cover pot and transfer to the oven. Braise the chicken for about 35-45 minutes until meat is tender and falls away from the bone.
Transfer the chicken and veggies to a plate and tent with foil. Discard herb bundle. Bring the sauce in the pot to a boil and reduce to approximately 2 cups. This takes about 15 minutes.
Stir in the lemon zest and salt and pepper and pour in the Half and Half or heavy cream. Whisk the sauce together for about a minute until it thickens. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
Serve the chicken and veggies on a plate and pour the sauce over the top. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and additional fresh thyme. Great with crusty bread and a green salad!
