Chapter 3
POULTRY

A chicken in every pot may have been a recipe to heal a nation once, but it’s also given us some of the world’s best recipes—chicken curry, coq au vin, and pot pie to name just a few. Chickens are ideal for braising because of their size and structure; one cut-up chicken fits perfectly in a Dutch oven and feeds a family. The bones give the sauce body and flavor and keep the meat from drying out. With all poultry, dark meat is the best for slow-cooking. Chicken thighs cook up moist and succulent, but don’t braise a boneless chicken breast; it just toughens. Turkey legs are inexpensive gems for the pot and even small birds such as poussin and game hens work, especially if you like the idea of eating right off the bone. Poultry’s mild taste is a canvas for any flavor, from spicy to creamy to garlicky. No wonder it’s found on dinner tables around the world.

white wine coq au vin

Coq au vin is traditionally made with red wine, but I’ve never liked the color of that dish. So I use Sauvignon Blanc, but you can use any dry white wine that you might have in the fridge. I also braise this without a lid so that the chicken skin stays crisper and the sauce fully concentrates. Serve with Herbed Wide Noodles and spinach sautéed in olive oil. [SERVES 4]

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F.

Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt. Coat the bottom of a 12-inch sauté pan or a 5- to 7-quart Dutch oven with a thin film of the oil and set over medium-high heat. When oil shimmers, add chicken, skin sides down, without crowding; do in batches if necessary. Cook until skin is golden brown and chicken releases easily from pan when lifted with tongs, about 5 minutes. Turn pieces over and cook until they brown and release easily on the other side, about 5 minutes more. Transfer browned chicken to a plate.

Meanwhile, slice the bacon strips in half lengthwise, then slice crosswise into small pieces. Cut the mushrooms into halves, if small, or into quarters, if large.

When last batch of chicken has been removed, add bacon to pan and cook, stirring, until fat is rendered. Drain off all but about 2 tablespoons of fat, then add the onion and carrots and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are softened, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, then stir in 1/2 cup of the broth and the thyme, stirring to release browned bits. Let come to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer until mushrooms have cooked down by half, about 7 minutes.

Pour in the wine and let come to a boil; stir in the potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Tuck chicken pieces into pan in 1 layer. Pour in enough remaining broth to come halfway up sides of chicken. Let liquid come to a boil, then transfer pan, uncovered, to the oven and cook until potatoes are tender and chicken is opaque at the bone, about 45 minutes, basting chicken a few times with pan juices. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

chicken bouillabaisse with garlicky beans

I learned of chicken bouillabaisse—a simple braise of chicken in saffron broth—from Judy Rodgers’s incredible Zuni Café Cookbook and have expanded the idea with a blend of garlicky beans stirred in to give it a pan-Mediterranean mood. Serve with toasted baguette slices. [SERVES 6]

Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F.

Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt. Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a 5- to 7-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add the onion, sprinkle with salt to taste, and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the wine, zest, thyme, and saffron and let come to a boil. Add the tomatoes and broth and bring to a boil again. Put chicken in pot, pushing it down into the sauce. Cover and transfer to the oven. Cook until chicken is opaque at the bone, about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a baking dish, stir together the beans, remaining 3 tablespoons oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Put in oven alongside the chicken for the last 15 minutes of cooking time. Remove beans from oven and stir in the mint and feta; season with salt and pepper. Spoon beans into bowls and top with chicken and sauce.

winter market chicken

During a chat about farmers’ markets with famed chef Alice Waters, I learned an invaluable lesson: Go in winter, when the farmers need you most. There’s a double reason, too, if you are braising, because that’s when sturdy root vegetables are spilling out of the bins. Serve this with Golden Pilaf and top with Yogurt-Mint Sauce. [SERVES 6 TO 8]

Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Put in a bowl and pour the lime juice over chicken, press 1 garlic clove into bowl, add 1 tablespoon oil and 1 teaspoon salt, and mix well. Let chicken marinate, covered, at room temperature for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, in a food processor or by hand, mince the onion, ginger, chile, and remaining 2 garlic cloves. In a small bowl, stir together the cumin, coriander, and turmeric. Peel the turnips and yam and cut into 1-inch cubes; scrub the potatoes and cut into quarters; scrub carrots and cut into 1-inch lengths. Set ingredients aside.

Coat the bottom of an 8-to 10-quart Dutch oven with a thin film of oil and set over medium-high heat. When oil shimmers, lift chicken from marinade with tongs (reserve marinade in bowl), shaking off excess, and put in pot, skin sides down, without crowding (be careful of hot oil spitting from marinade); do in batches if necessary. Cook until skin is golden brown and chicken releases easily from pot when lifted with tongs, about 5 minutes. Turn pieces over and cook until they brown and release easily on the other side, about 5 minutes more. Transfer browned chicken to a plate.

When last batch of chicken has been removed, add onion mixture to pot and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute, until fragrant. Stir in cumin mixture and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Pour in the broth and reserved marinade in bowl, stirring to release browned bits, then add the tomatoes. Let mixture come to a boil, then stir in turnips, yam, potatoes, and carrots. Let return to a boil, then tuck reserved chicken and any accumulated juices into pot. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until root vegetables are tender and chicken is almost falling off the bone, about 11/2 hours.

chicken with escarole, lemon, and olives

Escarole is the queen of chicories in my opinion, although her sisters—curly endive (or frisée), radicchio, and Treviso—can be used in this dish. Slow-simmering the greens with aromatics and juices from the chicken turns them indescribably tender and sweet. The piquancy of lemons and olives offsets that. Serve this with slices of toasted, garlic-rubbed bread or with Shortcut Risotto. [SERVES 4]

Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt. Coat the bottom of a 5- to 7-quart Dutch oven with a thin film of the oil and set over medium-high heat. When oil shimmers, add chicken, skin sides down, without crowding; do in batches if necessary. Cook until skin is golden brown and chicken pieces release easily from pot when lifted with tongs, about 5 minutes. Turn pieces over and cook until they are brown and release easily on the other side, about 5 minutes more. Transfer browned chicken to a plate.

While chicken is browning, peel the shallots and trim off root ends. Peel the garlic.

When last batch of chicken has been removed, put shallots and garlic in pot and stir for about 30 seconds until fragrant; sprinkle with a little salt. Pour in the wine, stirring to release browned bits. Shake pot to spread out shallots and garlic. Add the escarole, but do not stir. Cover pot and let escarole wilt, about 5 minutes. Arrange the lemon slices in 1 layer over escarole; do not stir. Sprinkle with a little salt. Arrange chicken, with any accumulated juices, on top of lemons; do not stir. Cover pot and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until chicken is opaque at the bone, about 45 minutes. Turn off heat.

Scatter the olives over chicken and, with a large spoon, gently stir contents of pot. Cover pot again and let stand for about 10 minutes to warm olives, then divide chicken, vegetables, and olives among shallow pasta plates or bowls and spoon juices over.

spicy coconut-chicken curry

Unlike most braises, this one is simmered uncovered so that the browned chicken skin stays crisper and the sauce condenses. Serve with Golden Pilaf or brown rice. [SERVES 6]

Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt. Coat the bottom of 5- to 7-quart Dutch oven with a thin film of the oil and set over medium-high heat. When oil shimmers, add chicken, skin sides down, without crowding; do in batches if necessary. Cook until skin is golden brown and chicken releases easily from pot when lifted with tongs, about 5 minutes. Turn pieces over and cook until they brown and release easily on the other side, about 5 minutes more. Transfer browned chicken to a plate.

When last batch of chicken has been removed, add the onion, garlic, and ginger to pot and cook, stirring, until vegetables are soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the curry powder, cumin, cayenne, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook for 30 seconds until spices are fragrant, then stir in the tomatoes and 1 cup of the coconut milk. Stir well and let come to a boil. Return chicken and any accumulated juices to pot; chicken should be surrounded by sauce, but not submerged in it, so that topmost skin is exposed (if there is not enough liquid in pot, add remaining coconut milk from can). Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until chicken is opaque at the bone, about 45 minutes. Stir in the peas and cilantro and cook until peas are hot, about 5 minutes more.

tuscan chicken stew

For this dish, each element cooks down and braises in its own liquid to extract the essence. While we tend to use sage only at Thanksgiving, in central Italy, it is used with pork and chicken all the time. Herbed Wide Noodles, including some extra sage, are a particularly good base for those heavenly juices. [SERVES 6]

Cut the chicken into 2-inch pieces; set aside. Cut the bell peppers into quarters and remove stems, seeds, and ribs. Thinly slice each quarter crosswise to make short strips. Trim stems off the mushrooms, then either cut mushrooms into quarters, if small, or eighths, if large. Set vegetables aside.

In a 5- to 7-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm the oil. When it shimmers, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion starts to color, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and bell peppers. Cover pot and cook, stirring once or twice, until peppers have softened, about 10 minutes. Add chicken. Cook, stirring a few times, until chicken is no longer pink, about 2 minutes. Pour in the Marsala and let come to a boil, then stir in a good pinch of salt. Fold in mushrooms, then cover pot, reduce heat to low, and let vegetables and chicken cook until tender and juicy, about 20 minutes. Stir in the sage and serve.

sara’s persian chicken

Sumptuous spices and fruit, plus a splash of exotic rose water, hint at the regal roots of this dish. I got the recipe from one of my favorite princesses of cuisine, Sara Whiteford. Serve with Apricot Couscous, deleting the dried apricots and stirring in toasted slivered almonds instead. [SERVES 4]

Rinse the chicken and pat dry. In a small bowl, mix together the cardamom, cumin, cinnamon, and salt. Sprinkle half of spice mixture over chicken.

Coat the bottom of a 5- to 7-quart Dutch oven with a thin film of the oil and set pot over medium-high heat. When oil shimmers, add enough chicken to cover bottom in 1 layer. Cook, without stirring, until chicken lifts easily from pot with tongs and is browned on bottom, about 5 minutes. Turn pieces over and cook until they brown and release easily on the other side, about 5 minutes more. Transfer browned chicken to a plate.

When last batch of chicken has been removed, add the onion, garlic, and ginger to pot and cook, stirring, for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in the saffron, cayenne, and remaining spice mixture. Add the lime juice and sugar and let come to a boil, stirring to release browned bits. Add the broth and return chicken and any accumulated juices to pot. Let liquid come to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes. Meanwhile, cut each dried apricot in half crosswise.

When chicken has cooked 25 minutes, stir in apricots. Continue to simmer, covered, until chicken is opaque at the bone and apricots are plump, 10 to 15 minutes more. To serve, splash each portion with a few drops of rose water, if using.

chicken cacciatore

Everyone seems to crave the simple flavors of this “hunter’s stew,” a homey Italian standard. Be sure to reduce the pot juices so that the sauce is thick enough to coat the chicken and whatever side dish you are serving, whether that be Herbed Wide Noodles or new potatoes roasted with Lemon-Rosemary Salt and olive oil. [SERVES 6]

Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and the paprika. Coat the bottom of a 5- to 7-quart Dutch oven with a thin film of the oil and set over medium-high heat. When oil shimmers, add chicken, skin sides down, without crowding; do in batches if necessary. Cook until skin is golden brown and chicken releases easily from pot when lifted with tongs, about 5 minutes. Turn pieces over and cook until they brown and release easily on the other side, about 5 minutes more. Transfer browned chicken to a plate and continue with remaining meat as necessary, adding more oil to pot in between batches as needed.

Meanwhile, cut the prosciutto crosswise into thin strips, then cut strips crosswise again into dice.

When last batch of chicken is removed from pot, add prosciutto, the onion, and bell pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 3 minutes. Pour in the wine and cook, stirring to release browned bits, for 1 minute, then add the tomatoes. Let mixture come to a boil, then return chicken and any accumulated juices to pot. Turn chicken pieces with tongs to coat with sauce. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until chicken is opaque at the bone, about 45 minutes. Transfer chicken pieces to a plate with tongs and tent with foil to keep warm. Bring sauce in pot to a boil and cook, stirring often, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Divide chicken pieces among plates, ladle sauce evenly over each portion, and serve.

turkey posole

Posole is the iconic Christmas dish in Santa Fe. There’s no master recipe, but it always must contain hominy—lime-soaked corn—in either dried or canned form. The other must-have ingredient is ground dried chile, such as ancho or New Mexico, which is available in many grocery stores or in Latin American markets. Do not confuse it with chili powder, which contains other spices and herbs. [SERVES 4]

Rinse the turkey and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt. Coat the bottom of a 5- to 7-quart Dutch oven with a thin film of the oil and set over medium-high heat. When oil shimmers, add turkey and cook until skin is golden and turkey releases easily from pan when lifted with tongs, about 5 minutes. Continue to cook, turning with tongs as necessary, until golden all over, 8 to 10 minutes more.

Leaving turkey in pot, add the onion, garlic, ground chile, and oregano. Pour in the broth and stir well to release browned bits. Let come to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer until meat is falling off the bone, about 11/2 hours, turning turkey once or twice during cooking.

Transfer turkey with tongs to a plate and set aside. Turn off heat, tilt pot, and spoon off as much fat as possible. Stir in the hominy, cover, and let sit while turkey cools. (Or, if made ahead, do not defat mixture; stir in hominy. Let cool, cover, and refrigerate separately from turkey for up to 1 day. Lift off fat from hominy mixture and proceed with recipe.)

When turkey is cool enough to handle, pull off and discard skin, then pull meat off bone, shredding with your fingers as you work. Stir turkey meat into pot and bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until turkey is heated through, about 5 minutes (or longer if chilled). Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and squeeze a lime wedge over each portion, then garnish with cilantro, green onions, avocado, and cabbage as desired.

turkey pot pie in a pan

Pot pie is essentially a creamy stew with pastry on top. For this streamlined version, turkey drumsticks are braised to flavor the sauce and the crust is baked separately so it doesn’t get gummy underneath. Easy as (pot) pie. [SERVES 4]

Rinse the turkey and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt. Coat the bottom of a 10- to 12-inch-wide sauté pan or deep frying pan with a thin film of the oil and set over medium-high heat. When oil shimmers, add turkey and cook until skin is golden and turkey releases easily from pan when lifted with tongs, about 5 minutes. Continue to cook, turning with tongs as necessary, until golden all over, 8 to 10 minutes more.

While turkey is browning, put the parsley, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf in a piece of doubled cheesecloth and tie it to make a bouquet garni.

When turkey is browned, transfer to a plate and stir the onion, celery, and carrot into pan. Pour in the broth and tuck in bouquet garni; let come to a boil. Return turkey to pan, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until meat is starting to pull from the bone, about 1 hour. In the last 15 minutes or so, preheat an oven to 350 degrees F.

Transfer cooked turkey back to plate and set aside. Discard bouquet garni. Add the potatoes, cream, and thyme leaves to pan and let come to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until potatoes are tender and cream is thickened, about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, roll out or trim the pastry to 1/2 inch larger than the diameter of the turkey pan and place pastry circle on a baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes (it will shrink slightly). While pastry is baking, pull off and discard turkey skin, then cut meat off bone; chop meat into small pieces.

Add the peas and chopped turkey to reduced cream mixture in pan and heat through, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set cooked pastry on top of mixture in pan. To serve, spoon out portions of turkey, sauce, and crust directly from pan.

game hens in a pot

Once little game hens or poussins (baby chickens) are braised, they are tender enough to pull apart with your hands, which works well since this sauce is positively lickable. This recipe is flexible: If you don’t have fresh sage on hand, substitute dried thyme (dried sage has so little flavor); use saffron to add warm color, or not; or leave out the olives and cook some baby carrots with the birds instead. Serve game hens over Farrotto or rice. [SERVES 4]

Rinse the birds and pat dry with paper towels; sprinkle with salt. Coat the bottom of a 5- to 7-quart Dutch oven with a thin film of the oil and set over medium-high heat. When oil shimmers, add birds, breast sides down. Cook until skin is golden brown and birds release easily from pot when lifted with tongs, about 5 minutes. Turn over and cook until they brown and release easily on the other side, about 5 minutes more. Transfer browned birds to a plate.

Put the shallots, celery, and prosciutto in pot and cook, stirring, until just softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the sage and saffron (if using). Pour in the broth and let come to a boil; arrange birds, breast sides up, in pot, fitting snugly. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until legs of birds move very easily in sockets when wiggled, about 35 minutes. Carefully transfer birds back to plate with tongs. Stir the olives into pot and let cook until warmed through, about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, if desired, pull or cut out backbones from birds and cut birds in half for easier serving, or serve birds whole. Divide farrotto or rice among shallow bowls, top with birds, and ladle sauce over all.