Thursday, January 12, 2012

Braised Chicken with Thyme

Braising is one of the things I love to do in the kitchen because it's so flexible. Toss some chicken, some herbs, and some wine in a pot, and you can get all sorts of results. Of course, this isn't to say that I've really mastered the technique. Consider these general instructions:

Saute aromatics (garlic/shallots) in oil
brown chicken, 5 minutes each side
remove chicken, deglaze with dry white wine, add herbs (thyme, rosemary, savory), reduce
braise chicken, 20-25 minutes

Did it turn out good? Well, it was fine. It could have been crispier -- I'm not sure if I want to saute the chicken longer or put it (briefly) under the broiler after braising it. The flavor was good, and if I had had the time to reduce the sauce after braising the chicken, it would have been really good. Some of this is just the peril of starting dinner at quarter after eight. But practice makes perfect, right?

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