A belated F&WT. My apologies.
I’ve been cooking a lot of chicken recently. Fresh & Easy has an excellent and reasonably priced free-range, vegetarian fed chicken available that I’ve been working with with excellent results. This recipe, inspired and adapted from one by Mark Bittman, is easy, versatile, and delicious.
What you need:
- a chicken, separated into parts (3-4 pounds) or 2ish pounds chicken parts (skin on, bone optional)
- a large onion, medium dice
- 5-6 garlic gloves, lightly smashed
- one cup chopped walnuts
- one cup raisins
- salt and pepper
- olive oil
- one cup dry white wine (and more for drinkin’)
- dried aromatic Mediterranean herbs (I use oregano and marjoram)
What to do:
- Coat the bottom of a large, high-walled, thick bottomed Dutch oven or pot with 2ish Tablespoons of olive oil.
- Heat the oil on medium-high for 1-2 minutes.
- Carefully place the chicken parts, skin down, into the pan.
- Reduce heat to medium and cook the chicken for about five minutes on each side.
- Remove the chicken and place on paper towels to drain. Sautee onions and garlic in the pan until the garlic cloves are soft and the onions are translucent.
- Add the white wine to the pan. Stir and deglaze the bottom of the pot with a wooden or silicone spoon or spatula.
- Let the wine reduce for about a minute.
- Add the walnuts, raisins, salt, pepper, and herbs to the pot and stir slightly.
- Return the chicken to the pot, skin-side up.
- Cover and let cook for another 15-20 minutes.
The chicken is done when it pulls apart easily with a fork. Serve with hummus, warm pita, sliced cucumbers, and feta cheese. It also makes a great filling for burek (Greek/Turkish phyllo dough pastries) or empanadas.
