Cal Peternell’s Braised Chicken Legs
- Total Time
- 1 hour 30 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 6chicken legs, thigh and drumstick together
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
- All-purpose flour, for dredging
- 4 to 5tablespoons neutral oil, or unsalted butter
- ¾cup white or red wine, beer, chicken stock or water
- 1large yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 1large carrot, peeled and diced
- 2celery stalks, diced
- 2cloves garlic, peeled and diced
- 3sprigs of thyme, rosemary or sage, leaves removed and roughly chopped
- 1bay leaf
- 3cups chicken stock, or water
- 2tablespoons roughly chopped parsley leaves
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
578 calories; 33 grams fat; 12 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 12 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 14 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 49 grams protein; 1081 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Season chicken legs with salt and pepper and let them sit for a while, 15 minutes to an hour, or overnight in the refrigerator.
- Step 2
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a cup or two of flour in a large bowl, add half the chicken and tumble the legs around to coat.
- Step 3
Set a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl in 2 tablespoons oil or butter and allow to melt and foam. Shake excess flour off the chicken legs and slide them into the hot pan in one layer; adjust the heat so the legs are sizzling nicely. When the legs begin to brown, after about 5 minutes, turn them over to brown the other side, an additional 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the chicken to a platter and repeat with remaining legs, adding more oil or butter if the pan seems dry.
- Step 4
Pour off the grease in the pan and add the wine or other liquid to the skillet, scraping at the sticky bits. Let simmer over medium heat until pan is completely deglazed. Pour that liquid into a small bowl and set aside.
- Step 5
Add remaining oil or butter to the pan and allow it to heat. Add onion, carrot, celery and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened nicely, approximately 10 minutes. Add garlic, thyme and bay leaf and cook for a minute or so, then return all the chicken to the pan, skin side up, along with the reserved glazing liquid and between 1 and 3 cups stock or water, enough to come up the sides of the chicken but not to get them swimming. Bring to a simmer and then put the skillet in the oven.
- Step 6
After 5 minutes or so, reduce the oven heat to 325 degrees and cook until chicken is very tender, 30 to 40 minutes. (Test for doneness by inserting a slender-bladed knife into the meat. It should pull out easily.) Remove the skillet from the oven, lift the legs from the skillet and put them aside again. Pour the liquid contents of the skillet into a small bowl and allow it to sit for 5 minutes or so, letting the fat rise to the surface. Use a small ladle to skim off and discard the fat, then return liquid to the pan, along with the chicken. Bring back to a simmer on the stovetop, then return to the oven for 5 minutes or so before serving, sprinkled with the chopped parsley, or save to reheat later.
Private Notes
Comments
Is this covered for the last 30-40 mins in the oven?
I used just chicken thighs and used 1 cup of red wine. At the end, I made a change: after removing the chicken, I strained the liquid, squeezing all the juice from the mirepoix. I brought the liquid back to the boil and whisked in a rue of 2 Tbls unsalted butter and 2 Tbls flour. This made the sauce a bit thicker and the extra butter made the sauce smoother. It was delicious.
This is very similar in taste to chicken fricassee, a childhood favorite. Easiest to make in big Le Creuset dutch oven, don't bother with oven (unless you want crispy skin, then stick with the oven instructions). For simplicity sake you could also just add the wine to the left over fat, instead of taking out in step 4, and skip thyme chopping in favor of adding a bouquet garni: maybe 10 stems of parsley and least 5 or 6 thyme sprigs, 2 to 3 bay leaves - and drop in liquid in step 5.
This was the best thing I cooked this year, so far. A little labor intensive, but the finished product is amazing.
This was good, but not a knockout. Used 4 chicken legs and kept all other quantities the same. White wine, homemade chicken stock, fresh thyme plus rosemary. Followed directions pretty closely. That defatting procedure was a bit much. We liked this, and the braising technique worked very well. Not sure I’ll make again.
I followed the recipe and thought it was a little bland. I should’ve used broth instead of water. But my husband really liked it.