I've made this many times from The Cook & The Gardener; it's simple, delicious and never fails to reap accolades! This braise is light, flavourful and so very easy to prepare.
Braised Chicken with Scallion Purée
Credit: James Baigrie
SERVES 4
This recipe is adapted from one appearing in The Cook and the Gardener by Amanda Hesser (W. W. Norton & Company, 1999).
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 chicken, cut into 4 pieces
Salt and freshly ground black
pepper
5 bunches scallions, trimmed
and thickly sliced
1/3 cup white wine
3 cups chicken stock
2 russet potatoes,
peeled and quartered
2 tbsp. heavy cream
1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper, and cook, skin side down, until golden, about 5 minutes. Turn chicken, add two-thirds of the scallions, and brown chicken on other side, about 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to a platter.
2. Continue to cook scallions until just soft, 1–2 minutes more. Add wine, scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon, and reduce by half. Return chicken to skillet, and add stock and potatoes. Reduce heat to medium-low, and braise, partially covered, until chicken is cooked through, about 50 minutes.
3. Transfer chicken to a platter, and loosely cover with foil. Strain braising liquid into a small bowl. Transfer potatoes and scallions to a medium bowl. Return braising liquid to skillet, and reduce by half over high heat. Add remaining scallions, and cook for 30 seconds. Mash reserved potatoes and scallions with a fork; then stir in heavy cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Put potatoes on a serving platter, arrange chicken over potatoes, and spoon scallions over chicken.
