Devil's Chicken Thighs with Braised Leeks and Dijon Mustard
From Sunday Suppers at Lucques
Recipe, slightly different, from Food & Wine
Pictures at The Amateur Gourmet
Yield: 12 serving, ~477 calories each
12 chicken thighs, trimmed of excess skin and fat
1 C thinly sliced onion
3 tbsp plus 1 tsp thyme leaves
2 chiles de arbol, thinly sliced on the diagonal
2 fresh bay leaves, thinly sliced, or 2 dried leaves, crumbled
3/4C dry vermouth
2 C fresh breadcrumbs
5 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
1/2 C finely diced shallots
1/2 C Dijon mustard
1 extra-large egg
2 tsp chopped tarragon
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 C chicken stock
Braised leeks (recipe below)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Note: The chicken is best when marinated overnight. The leeks need to be braised ahead; you could even braise them the day before. You can also sear the chicken thighs, grind the breadcrumbs, and make the mustard mixture a few hours in advance. Then the only thing left to do is assemble the thighs over the braised leeks and bake.
Place chicken thighs in a large bowl with sliced onion, 2 tbsp thyme, chiles, bay leaves, and 1/4 C vermouth. Using your hands, toss to coat the chicken well. Cover, and refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Place the breadcrumbs in a medium bowl. Heat a large saute pan over medium heat for 1 minute. Add 3 tbsp butter, and cook until brown and smells nutty. User a rubber spatula to scrap the brown butter over the bread crumbs. Wait 1 minute, and then toss well with the parsley and 1 tbsp thyme.
Preheat the oven to 375
Return the saute pan to medium heat for 1 min. Swirl the remaining 2 tbsp butter, and when it foams, add the shallots and remaining 1 tsp thyme. Saute about 2 minutes, until shallots are translucent. Add the remaining 1/2 C vermouth and reduce by half. Transfer to a bowl and let cool a few minutes. Whisk in the mustard, egg, chopped tarragon, and a pinch of black pepper.
Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking, to bring it to room temperature. Discard the seasonings, and pat the chicken dry with paper towels so the oil doesn't splash! After 15 minutes, season the thighs well on both sides with salt and pepper.
Return the same saute pan to high heat for about 2 minutes. Swirl in the olive oil, and wait 1 minute. Place the chicken thighs in the pan, skin side down, and cook 8-10 minutes, until the skin is a deep golden brown. Turn the thighs over, and cook a minute or 2 on the other side. Place the chicken on the braised leeks. Turn off the heat and discard the fat. Add the chicken stock to the pan, and scrape with a wooden spoon to release the crispy bits stuck to the bottom. Pour the chicken stock over the braised leeks.
Toss the chicken thighs in the bowl with the mustard mixture, slathering them completely, and then rearrange them over the braised leeks. Spoon any remaining mustard mixture over the chicken thighs. Top each thigh with breadcrumbs, patting with your hands to make sure they get nicely coated. (You want lots of mustard mixture and lots of breadcrumbs) Bake about 40 minutes, until the chicken is just cook through. To check for doneness, pierce the meat near the bone with a pairing knife; when ready, the juices from the chicken will run clear.
Turn the oven up to 475 and cook the chicken thighs another 10 minutes until the breadcrumbs are golden brown.
Serve in the baking dish, or transfer to a large warm platter.
Braised Leeks
6 large leeks
About 3/4 C extra-virgin olive oil
1 C sliced shallots
1 tbsp thyme leaves
1/2 C dry white wine
1 1/2 C - 2 C chicken or vegetable stock or water
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 400
Remove any bruised outer layers from the leeks. Trim off to the roots, leaving the root end intact. Trim the tops of the leeks on the diagonal, leaving 2 inches of the green part attached. Cut the leeks in half length wise, and submerge in a large bowl of cold water to clean them. Shake the leeks well to dislodge the dirt stuck inside. Let them sit a few minutes, to allow any grit inside the layers to fall to the bottom of the bowl. Repeat the process until the water is clean. Place the leeks, cut side down, on a towel and pat dry completely.
Turn the leeks over so their cut sides are facing up, and season with 2 tsp salt and a few grindings of black pepper.
Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Pour in 1/4 C olive oil, and wait 1 min. Place the leeks in the pan, cut side down, being careful not to crowd them. (You probably need to saute them in batches or in 2 pans. Add more olive oil to the pan as needed, for each batch) Sear them 4-5 minutes, until they are golden brown. Season the backs of the leeks with salt and pepper, and turn them over to cook 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a large gratin dish, lining them up, cut sides facing up. (Choose a baking dish or gratin dish that can go from oven to table and that will accommodate all the leeks and chicken thighs, or use 2 smaller dishes)
Pour 1/4 C olive oil into the pan and heat over medium heat. Add the shallots, thyme, 1/4 tsp salt, and a pinch of pepper. Cook about 5 minutes, until the shallots are just beginning to color. Add the white wine and reduce by half. Add 1 1/2 C stock, and bring to a boil over heat.
Pour the liquid over the leeks. The stock should not quite cover them; add more stock if necessary.
Braise in the oven 30 minutes, until the leeks are tender when pierced.
Comment: Made these... screwed up the leeks by cutting them too far from the root. They kinda fall apart when you do that! I believe the Italian breadcrumbs we had already included salt so it was a bit salty. Overall, it was ok. It was basically mustard chicken that took about 4 hours to cook, plus prepping the day before. It had flavor, but it just wasn't amazing. Will not make again
Recipe, slightly different, from Food & Wine
Pictures at The Amateur Gourmet
Yield: 12 serving, ~477 calories each
12 chicken thighs, trimmed of excess skin and fat
1 C thinly sliced onion
3 tbsp plus 1 tsp thyme leaves
2 chiles de arbol, thinly sliced on the diagonal
2 fresh bay leaves, thinly sliced, or 2 dried leaves, crumbled
3/4C dry vermouth
2 C fresh breadcrumbs
5 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
1/2 C finely diced shallots
1/2 C Dijon mustard
1 extra-large egg
2 tsp chopped tarragon
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 C chicken stock
Braised leeks (recipe below)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Note: The chicken is best when marinated overnight. The leeks need to be braised ahead; you could even braise them the day before. You can also sear the chicken thighs, grind the breadcrumbs, and make the mustard mixture a few hours in advance. Then the only thing left to do is assemble the thighs over the braised leeks and bake.
Place chicken thighs in a large bowl with sliced onion, 2 tbsp thyme, chiles, bay leaves, and 1/4 C vermouth. Using your hands, toss to coat the chicken well. Cover, and refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Place the breadcrumbs in a medium bowl. Heat a large saute pan over medium heat for 1 minute. Add 3 tbsp butter, and cook until brown and smells nutty. User a rubber spatula to scrap the brown butter over the bread crumbs. Wait 1 minute, and then toss well with the parsley and 1 tbsp thyme.
Preheat the oven to 375
Return the saute pan to medium heat for 1 min. Swirl the remaining 2 tbsp butter, and when it foams, add the shallots and remaining 1 tsp thyme. Saute about 2 minutes, until shallots are translucent. Add the remaining 1/2 C vermouth and reduce by half. Transfer to a bowl and let cool a few minutes. Whisk in the mustard, egg, chopped tarragon, and a pinch of black pepper.
Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking, to bring it to room temperature. Discard the seasonings, and pat the chicken dry with paper towels so the oil doesn't splash! After 15 minutes, season the thighs well on both sides with salt and pepper.
Return the same saute pan to high heat for about 2 minutes. Swirl in the olive oil, and wait 1 minute. Place the chicken thighs in the pan, skin side down, and cook 8-10 minutes, until the skin is a deep golden brown. Turn the thighs over, and cook a minute or 2 on the other side. Place the chicken on the braised leeks. Turn off the heat and discard the fat. Add the chicken stock to the pan, and scrape with a wooden spoon to release the crispy bits stuck to the bottom. Pour the chicken stock over the braised leeks.
Toss the chicken thighs in the bowl with the mustard mixture, slathering them completely, and then rearrange them over the braised leeks. Spoon any remaining mustard mixture over the chicken thighs. Top each thigh with breadcrumbs, patting with your hands to make sure they get nicely coated. (You want lots of mustard mixture and lots of breadcrumbs) Bake about 40 minutes, until the chicken is just cook through. To check for doneness, pierce the meat near the bone with a pairing knife; when ready, the juices from the chicken will run clear.
Turn the oven up to 475 and cook the chicken thighs another 10 minutes until the breadcrumbs are golden brown.
Serve in the baking dish, or transfer to a large warm platter.
Braised Leeks
6 large leeks
About 3/4 C extra-virgin olive oil
1 C sliced shallots
1 tbsp thyme leaves
1/2 C dry white wine
1 1/2 C - 2 C chicken or vegetable stock or water
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 400
Remove any bruised outer layers from the leeks. Trim off to the roots, leaving the root end intact. Trim the tops of the leeks on the diagonal, leaving 2 inches of the green part attached. Cut the leeks in half length wise, and submerge in a large bowl of cold water to clean them. Shake the leeks well to dislodge the dirt stuck inside. Let them sit a few minutes, to allow any grit inside the layers to fall to the bottom of the bowl. Repeat the process until the water is clean. Place the leeks, cut side down, on a towel and pat dry completely.
Turn the leeks over so their cut sides are facing up, and season with 2 tsp salt and a few grindings of black pepper.
Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Pour in 1/4 C olive oil, and wait 1 min. Place the leeks in the pan, cut side down, being careful not to crowd them. (You probably need to saute them in batches or in 2 pans. Add more olive oil to the pan as needed, for each batch) Sear them 4-5 minutes, until they are golden brown. Season the backs of the leeks with salt and pepper, and turn them over to cook 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a large gratin dish, lining them up, cut sides facing up. (Choose a baking dish or gratin dish that can go from oven to table and that will accommodate all the leeks and chicken thighs, or use 2 smaller dishes)
Pour 1/4 C olive oil into the pan and heat over medium heat. Add the shallots, thyme, 1/4 tsp salt, and a pinch of pepper. Cook about 5 minutes, until the shallots are just beginning to color. Add the white wine and reduce by half. Add 1 1/2 C stock, and bring to a boil over heat.
Pour the liquid over the leeks. The stock should not quite cover them; add more stock if necessary.
Braise in the oven 30 minutes, until the leeks are tender when pierced.
Comment: Made these... screwed up the leeks by cutting them too far from the root. They kinda fall apart when you do that! I believe the Italian breadcrumbs we had already included salt so it was a bit salty. Overall, it was ok. It was basically mustard chicken that took about 4 hours to cook, plus prepping the day before. It had flavor, but it just wasn't amazing. Will not make again