TATTRAT Braised Chicken w/ Whipped potatoes It's rich, and very flavorful, but also light enough to where paired with the spuds, it's not gonna weigh you down like crazy. I love dishes like this, now that it's getting cooler at night, the days shorter, it's just the kinda stick to your ribs meal that gets you happy on the inside. AND ON TO THE DISH: What you will need: -FOR THE BIRD- -1 Chicken, or precut/8cut chicken -6 Cloves Garlic, crushed -1 Onion -2 Potatoes, peeled and sliced for the "stew" -4 Carrots, peeled and cut into uniform shapes -1/4 Bag of frozen peas -1 Bottle of Wine, Cook with what you would drink. Please, don't use "cooking wine" as it is loaded with sodium. You also don't have to spend $30 on the bottle either, just use your brain. -2 Cans of Chicken Stock(Low Sodium) -Dried Rosemary -Dried Thyme -4 Bay leaves(depending on size) -1 Tablespoon of Sweet Paprika -For the Whipped Potatoes- -Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced -Butter, I cook with unsalted -Reserved Chicken Stock -Whole Milk COOKING VESSEL: Again, I use my "Go to", "One Size Fits All" large sauté pan. use this to Brown off the chicken before putting into the larger vessel for stewing down. Again, with the soup pot/stock pot. Not having a Rondeau, this will work in a pinch. PREP: Quarter chicken and get it marinated. I tend to do 24 hours, and MAKE SURE to season both the skin, and meat side. Be generous with it. Prepare the vegetables uniformly so that they will cook easily, it's not that hard. The rest of this is just searing the bird, and after that, it's pretty easy breezy, set it and forget it type cooking. PO TA TOES READY TO GO! Firstly, you are going to want to dredge the bird in seasoned flour. I used Sweet Paprika, salt, white pepper, and that's about it. Dredge and brown the bird. *NOTE* Make sure the oil is HOT, make sure it is "shimmering", if not the flour is going to hit the oil, and just turn to paste that will not result in a nice crust that will help build the sauce for this dish. While searing, have the rondeau, or stockpot going over medium heat. Add butter, and let it brown just a little bit, it's good and adds a little nuttiness to the base for the sauce building. Add in ONE Chopped onion, add in the DRY Spices(Rosemary, and Thyme, and Bay Leaves), stir to mix and start getting a little color on them. After the chicken pieces are browned, just go RIGHT in on top of that bed of onions and garlic you have built. Once the chicken is all browned, and everyone is in the party (in a single layer if possible), add about HALF of that bottle of wine that you have selected. Let the wine come up about half way on the bird, and let it come to a rolling boil. You want to reduce the wine by half, mellowing it out a bit while intensifying those flavors. Once things have come down a bit, go ahead and add enough chicken stock to cover the bird, but leave a LITTLE (like half a cup) for your mashed 'taters. Cover, and let come to a simmer, watching the heat carefully. Once things are up to temp, let the bird ride alone before adding the other members to the party. . .after about 10-15min, add the potatoes. Now, let this keep on doing its thing, occasionally giving it a stir to make sure it isn't burning on the bottom (there is NO reason it should be if you've followed the rules). Let it do its thing, and start to reduce down, creating your sauce. Once things are about 10-15 min from being done COMPLETELY, add in the carrots. At the VERY LAST MIN, add in the peas. After things have simmered, potatoes are getting fork tender, and carrots just in -FOR THE TATERS- You are going to want to give yourself about 15 min to make the spuds. Bring the cubed potatoes up to a boil, and let 'em rip until fork tender. Drain the potatoes when tender, and return to the pan, put over LOW heat and help dry them out a little. Add chicken stock, butter, salt and pepper. . .MIX lightly, on low speed with a mixer until things are just getting mixed, and broken down. Add in MILK. Whole milk and the stock keeps these spuds light and airy, yet, you can still stand a spoon up in 'em. They are rich, and light at the same time, I promise. Now, bring the speed up, slowly, until you are at the highest setting. Whip the hell out of 'em, when you see no lumps, keep mixing and count to 10. Done. Put the mixer down. You are making Whipped Potatoes, not glue! FOR SERVICE: I do center plate on the spuds, a nice lil mound of them, lay across your piece of bird. With a slotted spoon, spoon over as many, or little, veggies as you want, and then ladle or spoon the pan sauce over the bird, letting it pool around the Whipped potatoes.
In case you are wondering just what in the heck a Rondeau is... Rondeau pans are for poaching, braising or slow-cooking of foods. Midway in size between full casserole pots and low casserole pots but invariably distinguishable with the presence handles, the rondeau pans are typically made of stainless steel, copper or enamel-coated metal. Basically your standard soup pot with lower sides.
Looks outstanding, I suddenly find myself wandering hungry in the great desert of time between breakfast and lunch.