Braised Chicken and Leeks
A friend of mine decided she was going to walk outside every single day, no matter the weather, as a way to beat the winter blues. I was so inspired by her idea, I decided to try it as well.
I have an additional motive: our Labrador puppy is proving to be quite the mischievous little bugger and the only hope of him not completely destroying the house and yard seems to be long walks through the orchard.
This simple commitment is two-fold: yes, the dog seriously needs a good walk every day but I’ve found that a walk, no matter how bitterly cold, windy or rainy it might be, does wonders for my mind.
The first couple of days, I trudged along as quickly as possible, trying to make it a form of exercise, looking at my watch to check how long and far I walked. But finally, I began to slow my pace and look around. I started paying attention to the leftover red apples clinging to bare trees, the hawk circling overhead and the gorgeous moon rising slowly in the dusky sky. The walk is becoming less and less for the dog and more and more for me. It is quiet and so very peaceful and somehow feels a tiny bit magical as I move between the sleeping trees.
About the time my fingers feel so frozen they begin to tingle and burn; my loop through the orchard brings me full circle back to my house. The lights are on inside and I can see the kids working on homework, flopped on couches. One tosses a nerf basketball in the air catching it over and over again, another has their nose in a book, and the youngest is bent over a pad of paper, furiously writing something down. Home invites me back. The dog and I are tired out and hungry. It’s time to make dinner.
Dinner is a simple but deeply satisfying one-pot meal of braised chicken and leeks. Adapted from a lovely recipe in the cookbook ‘Small Victories,’ by Julia Turshen, this meal is the cozy winter meal you need to add to your rotation. I’ll be the first to admit: this isn’t the most beautiful recipe you’ll ever make. But that’s ok, because the flavors make up for its lack of beauty.
The secret to this recipe is simply a little bit of patience. The chicken is seared on each side until golden brown and crispy. This takes about 6 to 8 minutes per side and you don’t want to rush it. The golden brown skin holds in the moisture and creates so much flavor. After the chicken is seared and crispy, you remove the meat briefly and add leeks, carrots and potatoes to the pot before adding the chicken back in and covering it all in a bit of chicken broth. The meat and vegetables braise in the liquid until you have a pot of tender vegetables and rich lovely chicken. All you need with this meal is a loaf of crusty bread to sop up the delicious broth.
Braised Chicken and Leeks
4 pounds skin-on chicken breasts and thighs (preferably 2 each)
2 large leek diced
2 carrots peeled and chopped
1 pound small creamer potatoes
2 cloves garlic smashed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 cups low-sodium organic chicken broth
1 tablespoon kosher salt divided
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
In a large dutch oven, heat olive oil in the pot over medium heat. Pat chicken dry with a paper towel and sprinkle with kosher salt and black pepper on both sides. Place chicken in the pot and don’t touch for about 6 to 8 minutes. You know the chicken is ready to flip when it gives easily. If the skin is sticking to the bottom of the pan, it’s not ready.
Use this time to dice the leek and soak in a bowl of cold water. Leeks can be quite dirty and sandy so an extra soak is necessary. Transfer leeks to a colander and run with cold water before setting aside. Rinse, peel and chop carrots into 1 1/2-inch pieces and set aside. Rinse creamer potatoes.
Return to the chicken and flip pieces over so that both sides of the meat sear. Again, be patient and allow the chicken to get a good crisp skin on it, another 6 to 8 minutes. When it’s ready, use tongs to remove chicken from the pot and place on a plate. Lower heat to a high simmer and add the butter and leeks to the pot. Give it a good stir, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the garlic, carrots and potatoes to the pot and give the vegetables a good sprinkle of salt and pepper, cooking for about 2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant.
Nestle the chicken back into the pot among the veggies and add the chicken broth. Bring the liquid up to a light boil before covering the pot with a lid, leaving a small vent. Cook for about 30 minutes, occasionally giving the pot a gentle stir, until the vegetables are tender (the potatoes should be fork tender if not almost falling apart) and the chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
Serve directly from the pot along with a loaf of crusty bread to sop up the wonderful juices.
*This dish could easily transform into the loveliest chicken soup. Skip the creamer potatoes and add two 32-ounce boxes of chicken stock to this recipe along with 10 ounces egg noodles and a big pinch of dried parsley. Slice the chicken into bite-size pieces when finished cooking. Put it back into the soup and serve immediately.