I have a new default way of cooking chicken. Originally, it was adapted from a recipe I'm sure I could no longer find on the internet... something, e.g., from Allrecipes or Epicurious. But I've found that the method is simple, infinitely adaptable and consistently comes out well. So here is a sort of universal braised chicken recipe, in the spirit of Amy Dacyczyn's muffins.
You will need:
*chicken (I like dark meat better for this-- and in general!-- but white meat works okay too)
*salt and pepper
*some kind of cooking oil
*butter
*bouillon, Better-than-Bouillon, soy sauce, or some other salty/umami flavoring
*aromatic(s) such as garlic, onion, fresh ginger, etc.
*fresh herbs if you have some lying around
1) Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add a small amount of cooking oil (your choice; olive is good). Sprinkle your chicken pieces with salt and pepper (or do this in the pan). Brown chicken pieces for 3-4 minutes on each side, just to give them a bit of color.
2) Push your chicken pieces out towards the side of the pan a bit in order to create a well in the center. Throw in a a chunk of butter (maybe 2-3 T.). As the butter is melting, add your bouillon or etc. I most often use about a teaspoon of Better-than-Bouillon (vegetable or chicken flavor works). A single bouillon cube would work. A couple of tablespoons of tamari or a little gochu jang would probably work. Use whatever you have around, but something that is fairly concentrated: not canned or boxed broth. Whatever it is will be melting into the butter as you throw your aromatics into the well: a few slices of garlic, half a sliced onion, slices of ginger root, chopped shallot, or whatever you have that needs using up. There's no need to chop these finely; they are there to impart flavor to the liquid.
3) Lay a few sprigs of fresh herbs, etc., over the top of the chicken (again, no need to chop). I know that you have something languishing in your refrigerator that just needs a good home: leftover parsley, cilantro, basil, mint, rosemary, sage, thyme... something you bought for a recipe and didn't use up. Perhaps some fresh scallions. Or maybe you don't have any of these, and you want to throw in some carrots or celery or mushrooms at this point. Go for it. Just lay 'em on top.
4) The pan should be bubbling like crazy, the butter browning, the kitchen scented with garlic and onion and herbs. Add a bit of water to the pan-- not too much, enough to cover the bottom by about 1/4-1/2 inch. Put a lid on it and turn the heat down (but not so much so that it stops bubbling-- you want a gentle-to-moderate bubble). Cook for about 45 minutes for chicken on the bone; you could (and should) get away with less for thin white meat. When you open the lid, the liquid will have concentrated into a delicious sauce for rice or bread, and your chicken will be moist and very flavorful.
This is the kind of chicken that you can throw together in about 10 minutes (mostly the time it takes to brown the meat), then allow to cook while you make the other components of the meal. It's perfect for someone like me, who so often has a vegetable dish that I intend to make the star of the evening; I have a habit of simply writing down "protein" on my shopping list as a reminder that I need to purchase something to go with the vegetable-of-the-day. This chicken can be, and often is, that protein. And you don't need to buy anything except the chicken, because everything else is already in your pantry. Yay!
You will need:
*chicken (I like dark meat better for this-- and in general!-- but white meat works okay too)
*salt and pepper
*some kind of cooking oil
*butter
*bouillon, Better-than-Bouillon, soy sauce, or some other salty/umami flavoring
*aromatic(s) such as garlic, onion, fresh ginger, etc.
*fresh herbs if you have some lying around
1) Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add a small amount of cooking oil (your choice; olive is good). Sprinkle your chicken pieces with salt and pepper (or do this in the pan). Brown chicken pieces for 3-4 minutes on each side, just to give them a bit of color.
2) Push your chicken pieces out towards the side of the pan a bit in order to create a well in the center. Throw in a a chunk of butter (maybe 2-3 T.). As the butter is melting, add your bouillon or etc. I most often use about a teaspoon of Better-than-Bouillon (vegetable or chicken flavor works). A single bouillon cube would work. A couple of tablespoons of tamari or a little gochu jang would probably work. Use whatever you have around, but something that is fairly concentrated: not canned or boxed broth. Whatever it is will be melting into the butter as you throw your aromatics into the well: a few slices of garlic, half a sliced onion, slices of ginger root, chopped shallot, or whatever you have that needs using up. There's no need to chop these finely; they are there to impart flavor to the liquid.
3) Lay a few sprigs of fresh herbs, etc., over the top of the chicken (again, no need to chop). I know that you have something languishing in your refrigerator that just needs a good home: leftover parsley, cilantro, basil, mint, rosemary, sage, thyme... something you bought for a recipe and didn't use up. Perhaps some fresh scallions. Or maybe you don't have any of these, and you want to throw in some carrots or celery or mushrooms at this point. Go for it. Just lay 'em on top.
4) The pan should be bubbling like crazy, the butter browning, the kitchen scented with garlic and onion and herbs. Add a bit of water to the pan-- not too much, enough to cover the bottom by about 1/4-1/2 inch. Put a lid on it and turn the heat down (but not so much so that it stops bubbling-- you want a gentle-to-moderate bubble). Cook for about 45 minutes for chicken on the bone; you could (and should) get away with less for thin white meat. When you open the lid, the liquid will have concentrated into a delicious sauce for rice or bread, and your chicken will be moist and very flavorful.
This is the kind of chicken that you can throw together in about 10 minutes (mostly the time it takes to brown the meat), then allow to cook while you make the other components of the meal. It's perfect for someone like me, who so often has a vegetable dish that I intend to make the star of the evening; I have a habit of simply writing down "protein" on my shopping list as a reminder that I need to purchase something to go with the vegetable-of-the-day. This chicken can be, and often is, that protein. And you don't need to buy anything except the chicken, because everything else is already in your pantry. Yay!