Buckets of Chicken, and Drunken Chicken

Let's talk about buckets of chicken. First of all, sometimes The Chef and I do get lazy and decide to just drive through someplace and get some chicken. A bucket of chicken goes a long way for us- fried chicken and all the fixins the first night, leftovers for lunch and maybe even a last couple pieces to cut up and toss in a salad or sandwich. Have you ever tried making chicken salad sandwiches with cut up FRIED chicken? OMG- you must. Now back on track......so we arrive at the unnamed chicken drive through and order our chicken. We get to the window and the employee tells us they are out of legs, would it be ok if they subbed additional thighs in their place? Of course! Thighs are, for me, the best part of the chicken, right? We get home........no chicken thighs. Those dirty rats shorted us on chicken!!! Ugh!!!

Speaking of buckets, have you ever heard of a guitarist who wears a chicken bucket on his head and conceals his identity? That would be Buckethead. He is a metal guitarist who has played with Guns and Roses and several others, and tours on his own with a unique show and playing style, most notably a white mask over his face and that chicken bucket on his head. I have no idea what this guy looks like underneath all that. Anyway, Buckethead has been on The Chef's bucket list for a very long time and since we got to see John5 a few weeks ago, hearing Buckethead was coming to town, The Chef just had to go. The show was unlike any he had ever seen before, both in volume and the performance. Buckethead plays with an accompanying soundtrack instead of a live band and uses an arsenal of effects to create some pretty unusual music. Definitly something a guitarist like The Chef would enjoy. 

The Chef often spends his time away from the restaurant playing at different jam sessions around town, and is working with his own band, perfecting their set and working on some new material. He is a very talented musician in his own right, and I can say that without being biased. He has well over 30 years of playing under his belt and it's just part of his DNA. Classic rock is his genre, and he will even sing on occasion if he has to. Of course, when it's my night to cook, that's when you'll definitely find him plugged in and shredding. I get a concert every night.

And with that, we are back to talking about chicken. With my new job and very long, but temporary, commute I get home a lot later than I did before and some days I just don't feel like standing in the kitchen cooking. Times like these are when I turn to simple braises to make a homey and delicious meal. Chicken is my favorite for braising and it doesn't take as much work as you think. A quick brown in hot oil in a big Dutch oven, some aromatics, and a braising liquid, popped in the oven for an hour or so and dinner is served, without the need for any special appliances or equipment. Braising is a very simple technique- you're simply roasting your meat in a liquid, to add flavor, and to bring on a tenderness that's nearly effortless. You can use almost any liquid to braise- stock or broth, wine, beer or vegetable juice all make delicious braises. Be sure to add aromatics like garlic, onion and herbs to really bring out the flavors. Fresh herbs are often too delicate for a braise, with a couple exceptions- thyme and rosemary work well, most others I prefer using the dried version.

The recipe calls for two cups of wine- basically it's a whole bottle with a swig for the cook *wink wink*, because honestly, we have to check the wine, right? I used a fairly inexpensive Riesling, a 2015 Rheinhessen, the kind in the cute cat bottle. It's not too sweet and it doesn't have that oaky taste I hate in Chardonnays. Riesling and Pinot Grigio are my preferred whites for cooking.

Quick note on the chicken- we bought chicken leg quarters- skin on and bone in. I cut the legs and thighs apart myself and removed the section of backbone that was attached. Not all leg quarters have that backbone attached. For a braised recipe like this you do not want to use boneless skinless chicken, and especially not breasts. You won't get enough flavor. The bones especially add a deeper chicken flavor to the sauce. Trust me on this. Learn to love chicken on the bone.

Monica's Drunken Chicken

4 chicken leg quarters

1 small onion, halved then sliced crosswise

10 cloves garlic, cut in half

2 carrots, sliced

2 teaspoons dried marjoram

salt and pepper

olive oil

2 cups Riesling

Use a sharp knife to cut the thigh and leg apart. If the thighs have the backbone attached, cut that off and discard (or save for stock). Season well with salt and pepper. Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the chicken, a few pieces at a time, to the pot and brown on all sides. Remove and set aside, repeat with all the chicken.

When chicken pieces are browned, remove and add the onion, garlic and carrot to the pot. Stir to coat with the oil and allow to cook for several minutes until just softened. Add the wine, scraping up the browned bits in the pan, and return the chicken to the pot, nestling down into the wine as much as possible. Place cover on the pot and place in oven. Cook for 1 and 1/2 hours.

Remove chicken pieces from the pot, cover and keep warm. Remove the vegetables with slotted spoon. Bring the juices to boil over high heat and cook until reduced. You can add a couple tablespoons of butter if you like. Serve the chicken and vegetables with roasted potatoes, drizzled with the sauce. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

So easy and delicious, it was almost like I did nothing and boom- dinner was on the table. We served the chicken with roasted potatoes for sopping up all that delicious jus in the pot.

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