Dinner Plans: Wine Braised Chicken with Garlic

The Beef Bourguignon I made earlier this week was my first braised dish. It's perfect for a cold winter evening, like we've been having around St. Louis. In fact, it's been in the single digits & teens for the past week. Frigid enough that my pipes froze last weekend. So, a steaming pot of fragrant & hearty slow-cooked stew was just the thing for a comforting, warming dinner.

It's cold again today. I've been huddled upstairs in bed with my laptop, because the first floor is chilly. Big, old houses tend to be a bit drafty in winter. But, the second floor is nice and toasty. So, I'm hibernating with my kitty and a pot of peppermint tea...planning some meals for next week.

I think another braised dish is in order, so I am going to make a recipe I found in Wineries & Bed and Breakfast Recipes of Illinois, a cookbook by David Alan Badger that we sell at the winery. This particular recipe was actually created by Bridget Kelly of the Kelly Twins.

This is my submission for the Think Spice event over at Sunita's World.

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
4 tablespoons olive oil
16 cloves of garlic, peeled
2 cups dry white wine (I'll use a chardonnay)
2 cups chicken stock
1 sprig thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
2 sprigs rosemary (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400.

Season chicken with salt & pepper. In an oven-proof skillet or large dutch oven, brown the pieces in olive oil, skin side down first. Remove.

Saute the garlic in the same pan until golden. Pour off oil. Add wine & bring to a boil. Lower the heat & simmer until reduced by half.

Add stock & herbs. Bring to a boil. Return the chicken to the pan. Place in the oven for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Remove chicken from the pan. Reduce the sauce left in the pan on the stovetop. Add cream.

Serve chicken over mashed potatoes or greens, with sauce poured on top.

Divvy up the garlic cloves with each serving. Or hoard them all for yourself. Mash them into the potatoes, smear them on crusty bread slices, or just savor them alone.

And try to stay warm.