Braised Chicken With Rosemary, Chickpeas and Salted Lemon
- Total Time
- 50 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 2½pounds whole chicken legs or bone-in, skin-on thighs
- 1lemon, halved lengthwise
- 1teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 2tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
- 1medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced
- 4garlic cloves, smashed
- 1fresh rosemary sprig
- ½cup dry white wine
- 1(15-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
- 1(15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed
- Black pepper
- 4cups hearty greens like spinach, kale or mustard greens, trimmed and torn
- 1cup mix of fresh herbs like dill, parsley and mint
- Full-fat Greek yogurt, for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
960 calories; 60 grams fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 25 grams monounsaturated fat; 12 grams polyunsaturated fat; 42 grams carbohydrates; 14 grams dietary fiber; 11 grams sugars; 61 grams protein; 1123 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
If using whole chicken legs, cut the joint just enough to bend the leg, and make a deep, 2-inch-long cut on the meat without cutting all the way through.
- Step 2
Cut one half of the lemon crosswise into ⅛-inch-thick half moons. Transfer them to a medium bowl. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and use a fork to lightly crush the slices and release the juice. Cut the other lemon half into wedges for serving.
- Step 3
Pat the chicken pieces dry and season both sides with salt. In a large lidded skillet or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high. Working in batches if necessary, add the chicken pieces skin-side down, cover, and cook until the skin is golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Flip, cover and cook for another minute or two, then transfer chicken to a plate. If working in batches, add 2 more tablespoons oil to the skillet, sear the remaining chicken legs then transfer them to the plate.
- Step 4
Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of fat from the pan. Add the onions and sauté until just softened, about 2 minutes, then add the garlic and rosemary and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the white wine, then add the tomatoes with their juices, crushing the tomatoes with your hands as you go. Rinse the tomato can with 1 cup water. Add the water and the chickpeas to the pan. Season lightly with salt and black pepper.
- Step 5
Bring to a boil, return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and tender, 15 to 18 minutes.
- Step 6
Uncover the pot and transfer the chicken to bowls or a large rimmed serving platter. Add the sliced lemon plus any accumulated juices to the pot, increase the heat to medium-high and allow to thicken slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Discard the rosemary stem, then stir in the hearty greens, remove from heat and season with additional salt if needed.
- Step 7
To serve, spoon the stew over the chicken legs, top with a handful of the herbs, yogurt and fresh lemon wedges for squeezing. Drizzle with olive oil, if desired, and serve with steamed couscous or slices of crusty bread for dipping.
Private Notes
Comments
I’ve made this a few times now. It’s always great, but here are my additions to make it stellar: - Leave the top off while you crisp the chicken skin at the beginning - Use a 28 oz can of fire-roasted tomatoes. Solves the water problem. - Don’t add any water! Just add a little more wine if needed. - Sub the salted lemon for one finely chopped preserved lemon (this is KILLER) - Allow the broth (with the greens!) to simmer for a while, at least 15 minutes - Finish with labne!
The "50 minute cooking time" is only if you want a very immature and not very rich sauce. I cooked down my sauce for a good 2 hours. Made a huge difference in quality of the taste, the ability of the herbs etc. to penetrate the sauce more deeply. Everyone loved it. I added a bit more white wine then the recipe called for--about 3/4 of a cup and instead of adding a "can of water" I added an 8 ounce can of diced tomatoes instead. No water.
I would think that that amount of “cooking” would be sufficient for spinach. Kale or mustard greens will take some simmer time to be as tender as the spinach.
This meal was the most fun I’ve had cooking in a while. I read all 100+ comments and made it my own with the following adjustments: cooked the sauce for 2 hours subbing 2 cans of diced tomatoes, 3/4 cup of wine, preserved lemons, and no water. While the sauce cooked, added dry versions of the same spices in a zip lock with chicken thighs. Nestled them (dry) on top of the cooked sauce without pan frying them and popped in the convection oven at 365 for an hour. The skin was crispy and the chicken was perfect. I tucked spinach under the thighs for a few minutes at the end of the baking time. Threw a handful of fresh Italian parsley and chopped scallions on top. I used the yogurt too and thought it added to the dish. Served over quinoa because I had it on hand. TLDR: Found Moroccan preserved lemons at Fresh Market’s international section. Added the preserved lemons to the sauce after the first hour because I was afraid of bitterness, but they would have been fine. One of the things I love about NYT cooking is how many people bother to share their best practices. To me, it’s not recipe fixing. All cooks have their favorite cooking methods and preferences. I love a winter meal with one pot and a lot of hands off cooking time. My family loved the meal, was intrigued with the process, and open to improving their brain health with more beans. Winner.
Forgot the greens. Used 28-oz can of tomatoes and some extra garlic (house rules). Served over rice. It was delicious.
Fantastic!