Braised Chicken with Gnocchi and Artichokes

While the Italians may have invented gnocchi, the French arguably perfected it with their love of soups and braises. This warm and comforting recipe features chicken, artichokes and gnocchi slow simmered in white wine and chicken stock. Topped with crème fraîche and fresh dill, the braising renders everything perfectly tender and mouthwatering.

After making this dish the second time around, I found that using two 6-ounce jars of DeLallo Marinated Artichoke Hearts, drained and reserved about 4 tablespoons of the marinade and added it to the braising liquid, added instant flavor to this slow-simmered dish. I also left the skin on the chicken for more flavor in the dish.Although amazing as a stand alone main course, I also serve this dish with a rustic French bread and side dish of steamed asparagus.

And as I think about it, this braised chicken dish, it reminds of the classic Southern dish, Chicken and Dumplings my Grand use to make when I was child. And while many of us are still waiting for Spring to begin and the snows to melt, this dish really hits the spot and is so filling with the lemony taste of dill.

Enjoy!

Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 chicken thighs and 2 chicken drumsticks
1 yellow onion
1/4 bunch fresh dill
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup white wine
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup crème fraîche
2 cups artichoke hearts
8 ounces prepared gnocchi


Directions:
Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towel. Peel onion and mince. Rinse dill and roughly chop leaves, discarding stems.

Heat butter and olive oil in a large high-sided pan over medium-high heat. Season chicken all over with salt and pepper. When oil is shimmering, add chicken and cook until bottom is browned and lifts easily from pan, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and cook until second side is browned, 3 to 4 minutes more. Remove chicken and set aside. Discard fat from pan.

Add onion to pan from chicken over medium heat and cook until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add white wine and chicken broth and scrape up brown bits from bottom of pan.

Return chicken to pan, increase heat to high, and bring to a boil over high heat. Then cover and reduce heat to medium low. Braise, covered, until chicken is cooked through and pulling away from bone, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove, reserving liquid in pan, cover with foil to keep warm, and set aside.

Add crème fraîche to pan with braising liquid and whisk to combine. Increase heat to medium high. Add artichoke hearts and gnocchi and cook, covered, until warmed through, about 3 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Return chicken to pan and turn to coat, about 1 minute.

Divide chicken, artichokes, gnocchi, and braising liquid evenly between two pasta bowls. Garnish with dill and serve.

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Oxtail Bourguinonne

 

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Bourguignonne refers to any dish cooked in the style of Burgundy, France. This dish is similar to classic boeuf bourguignonne (French beef stew), which is beef braised with red wine and mushrooms. Although oxtail was once the tail of an ox, these days the bony cut can be beef or veal origin. Also note that mashed potatoes would make the perfect side dish. And if you desire a gluten free side dish, mashed cauliflower works just as well.

Serves 6

Ingredients:
8 slices fatty bacon, chopped
Olive oil
3 large fresh Italian parsley sprigs
3 large fresh thyme sprigs
2 large fresh bay leaves, bruised
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 to 4 1/4 pounds meaty oxtail pieces, trimmed of excess fat
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup diced carrot plus 6 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch chunks
4 large garlic cloves, peeled; 1 minced, 3 left whole
1 3/4 cups beef broth
1 1/2 cups red Burgundy wine (such as Beaujolais)
1 pound crimini (baby bella) mushrooms, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
12 small shallots, blanched 1 minute, peeled

Directions:
Cook bacon in heavy large pot over medium-high heat until brown and crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to plate. Pour drippings into small bowl. Return 6 tablespoons drippings to pot (add olive oil, if necessary, to measure 6 tablespoons total; reserve bacon for another use). Tie parsley, thyme, and bay leaves together for bouquet garni. Stir 1 tablespoon flour and butter in small bowl to smooth paste.

Whisk 1 1/2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and nutmeg in medium bowl. Add oxtails, a few pieces at a time, to seasoned flour and toss to coat.

Heat bacon drippings in pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add oxtails and brown on all sides, about 6 minutes per batch. Transfer oxtails to bowl after each batch.
Reduce heat to medium-low. Add chopped onions, diced carrot, and minced garlic to pot. Sauté until onions soften, 5 to 6 minutes. Return oxtails and any accumulated juices to pot. Add bouquet garni, then broth and wine. Bring to boil. Cover and simmer until meat is almost tender, adjusting heat occasionally to maintain gentle simmer, about 3 hours. Mix in mushrooms, shallots, carrot chunks, and whole garlic cloves. Increase heat and return to boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover pot and simmer gently until meat and vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes longer.

Tilt pot and spoon off any fat that rises to surface. Stir flour paste into stew. Simmer uncovered until sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cook’s Notes:
This dish can be made 1 day ahead. Allow it to cool  for 1 hour, then refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated. To serve, rewarm over low heat before ladling into serving bowls.

Hello December!

hello-december

The Holiday Season is here and it is the most wonderful time of year, especially when it comes to food.

Sure, there are plenty of places where markets shut down by November, yet between public interest, hoop houses, and other methods of extending the growing season, as well as fall produce that’s designed to keep into winter, more and more markets are staying open later into the year.If you’re lucky enough to have an open farmers market in your neck of the woods, look for these fruits and vegetables when December rolls around.

And remember, you can enjoy these

Seasonal Fruits and Vegetables for December:

Apples
Beets
Belgian Endive
Bok Choy
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery		 Collard Greens
Cranberries
Dates
Escarole
Fennel
Grapefruit
Kale
Kiwifruit
Leeks
Lemons		 Mushrooms
Mustard Greens
Onions
Oranges
Papayas
Passion Fruit
Pears
Persimmons
Pomegranates
Potatoes		 Radicchio
Radish
Rutabaga
Spinach
Sweet Potatoes
Swiss Chard
Tangelos
Tangerines
Turnips
Winter Squash