Repeat after me. One-pot meals are a girl's best friend - diamonds are a close second. And when you can get this much flavor from a single pot, without slaving over it for 3 days, that in and of itself is reason enough to throw a party.
In fact, my husband went on record as saying - "This has to be one of the top 5 best (maybe 3) meals my wife has ever made." People I have been cooking for this man for 20+ years - he has had a lot of dinners to rank and so have I - trust me when I say this one is up there.
I promised you tasty recipes for entertaining - that are not precious or fussy, and this one from Food & Wine knocks it out of the park. If you have all day, by all means don't let me stop you from whipping up a little Coq au vin. But if you have carpool, homework, soccer and piano practice times 2 and only about an hour to whip up dinner for 10 then make this.
Spoon it over pasta (I used egg noodles), mashed potatoes or rice, serve with a salad, crusty bread, a good bottle of wine and you're done.
Chardonnay-Braised Chicken Thighs with Parsnips
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 8 medium chicken thighs (about 2 3/4 pounds)
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 small shallots, peeled and quartered
- 1 pound parsnips, peeled and cut into 3-by- 1/2-inch batons
- 1 rosemary sprig (about 6 inches)
- 1 cup California Chardonnay or other dry white wine
- 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- Chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
Preheat the oven to 425°. In a large, deep ovenproof skillet, melt the butter in the oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and dust with the flour, tapping off the excess. Add the chicken to the skillet skin side down and cook over high heat, turning once, until browned, 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Add the shallots, parsnips and rosemary to the skillet and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the wine and boil until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Nestle the chicken skin side up in the skillet, tucking it between the parsnips. Transfer the skillet to the middle rack of the oven and braise the chicken uncovered for about 25 minutes, until cooked through.
Turn the broiler on. Broil the chicken for 3 minutes, until the skin is crisp. Return the skillet to high heat and boil until the sauce is thickened, 3 minutes. Discard the rosemary sprig. Transfer the chicken and vegetables to bowls, garnish with parsley; serve.