Red Wine Braised Chicken

It all started with freezer chicken. No one really likes freezer chicken; least of all me. But I bought too much on a sale at the store, and froze a few chicken quarters figuring I’d use them up soon. Instead, I forgot about them.

Opening up the freezer last weekend, they jumped out at me. Literally. I really wasn’t sure what to do with them–and I considered just cheating and throwing them in a Pyrex pan with some barbecue sauce and baking them in the oven for an hour or so. That is a decent, but not great, way to put them to use. But then I found a bottle of old wine in our fridge.

Now, normally, wine doesn’t last long around here once opened. But here was a bottle with sufficient dregs to make this interesting. Instantly, I thought of braising the chicken in red wine, with fresh herbs. And so that’s what I did.

Normally, with braising, you brown the meat sufficiently all around in a nice heavy pot, then add the liquid and simmer the whole lot until its done. But I have been gaining some summer fat, so I decided not to cook the chicken quarters with their skin on–also, if you do remove it, that leaves less fat to skim off or to congeal in the fridge overnight.

But by removing the skin, that also removes a bit of insulation from the drying effects of such browning, which can cause the chicken to get stiff and harden in a way that doesn’t always soften during braising.

So I just threw them in the pot. Maybe that’s a little lazy, but it was Sunday, and that’s what Sunday’s are made for.

I poured in all of the leftover wine–no worries if it went a little vinegary because that makes it taste even better–and some fresh rosemary sprigs from my garden. I also added bay leaves; these are nice freshly dried ones from Penzey’s. I added in some chicken broth and some water, to bring up the level of the pot. I added some chopped red tomatoes, one medium can’s worth (14 or 15 oz.), and some black pepper.  I didn’t add any salt because the broth has some, and I will reduce this in the end which will concentrate any salt I add now. So, better to leave salting for the end. Keep the heat up pretty high for a few minutes, to get things going.

After a few minutes of cooking, the wine will lose a bit of color, but the smell will be AMAZING. Like pulling-the-dogs-off-the-couch-and-making-them-run-to-the-kitchen-with-noses-high-in-the-air-to-smell-what-magic-is-going-on, kind of amazing.  I turn it down to medium or medium low, just a nice flame that keeps things bubbling away.

Once the chicken is cooked through, pull it out of the pot to let it cool down for shredding.  You should also pull out the rosemary and bay leaves too, and crank the heat up. Don’t dare discard any of the liquid in the pot.  What you want to do is to reduce all of that yummy smelling and tasting broth into a thicker, richer sauce for the chicken. This takes about 30 minutes, and it should reduce by more than half.  Once you get the liquid down to what seems to be the right level, shred and add back in the chicken. You’ll want to watch for bones because the cooking process will soften them to where they can be hard to find.

Keep reducing the liquid with the meat in it until it is at a final concentration that you like.  I packed this up for lunches for the week, and ate marvelously.

A final note: you could use breast meat for this, but I don’t know why you would. Life is short. Dark meat tastes better.  Live the dream.

Red Wine Braised Chicken

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

45 mins

 

You could use breast meat for this, but I don't know why you would. Life is short. Dark meat tastes better. Live the dream.

Author: WooPigFoodie

Recipe type: Dinner

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• Three to four large chicken leq quarters (these are legs with thighs attached)
• Leftover red wine (any amount from a cup to a bottle; it's all good as they say in these parts)
• Two to three fresh rosemary sprigs
• 2 big bay leaves (use 3 if they're small)
• 32 oz. chicken broth or vegetable broth (use low sodium if you have it)
• Water to cover
• 1 medium can chopped red tomatoes (14 or 15 oz.)
• 1 T fresh ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Take the skin off of the chicken leq quarters and throw them in the pot over medium high heat. If you like, you can save the skin in your freezer for sautéing potatoes and things later on.
2. Pour in the leftover wine--no worries if it went a little vinegary because that makes it taste even better--and add the fresh rosemary sprigs and the bay leaves.
3. Add in the chicken broth and some water, enough to bring up the level of the pot to where the liquid covers the chicken.
4. Add in the chopped red tomatoes along with all the juice in the can.
5. Add the black pepper.
6. I didn't add any salt because the broth has some, and I will reduce this in the end which will concentrate any salt I add now. So, better to leave salting for the end.
7. Keep the heat up pretty high for a few minutes, to get things going.
8. After a few minutes of cooking, the wine will lose a bit of color, but the smell will be AMAZING. Like pulling-the-dogs-off-the-couch-and-making-them-run-to-the-kitchen-with-noses-high-in-the-air-to-smell-what-magic-is-going-on, kind of amazing.
9. Turn the heat down to medium or medium low, just a nice flame that keeps things bubbling away.
10. Once the chicken is cooked through, pull it out of the pot to let it cool down for shredding. You should also pull out the rosemary and bay leaves too, and then crank the heat up. Don't dare discard any of the liquid in the pot. What you want to do is to reduce all of that yummy smelling and tasting broth into a thicker, richer sauce for the chicken. This takes about 30 minutes, and it should reduce by more than half.
11. Once you get the liquid down to what seems to be the right level, shred and add back in the chicken. You'll want to watch for bones because the cooking process will soften them to where they can be hard to find.
12. Serve to smiles.

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