Recipes

White Wine Braised Chicken

By Josh Buckwald

November 2020

4 Servings

Ingredients

  • 6 chicken legs, thigh and drumstick together

  • 5 tbs grapeseed oil, or other neutral oil

  • 1 ½ cups dry white wine

  • 1 large yellow onion, diced

  • 1 large carrot, diced

  • 1 large turnip, diced

  • 8 oz chard, stems removed and chopped

  • 1 bunch thyme, stems removed

  • 5 large sage leaves, chopped

  • 4 bay leaves

  • 1 lemon, cut into wedges

  • Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Steps

  • On a plate, or a small tray with a wire rack, pat the chicken completely dry using paper towels.

  • Season the chicken generously with kosher salt and black pepper on both sides. Leave at least 15 minutes, or preferably in the refrigerator uncovered overnight.

  • Heat your oven to 450F.

  • In a dutch oven or other large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. In as many batches as necessary brown the chicken legs on both sides, aiming for as crispy a skin as possible. About 5 minutes per side. Remove the legs from the heat and return them to the plate or wire rack. Set aside.

  • Turn the heat down to medium-low. Add the sage and fry until crispy and dark green.
  • Next, add the onion, carrots, turnip, chard, and thyme. Season the vegetables with salt and sweat them out until translucent and tender, about 10-15 minutes.

  • Return the chicken to the dutch oven, skin side up. Add the wine and bay leaves. The liquid should come about ⅔ of the way up the chicken legs, leaving the skin side open to the air. If the wine covers the tops a little bit that’s ok.

  • Bring the braise to a simmer and then carefully transfer to the oven.

  • Cook for about 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350F and cook for another 30-45 minutes, until the chicken is just done and tender. You should be able to slide a paring knife through it with no resistance.

  • Remove the dish from the oven and return the chicken to the plate/rack. Remove the bay leaves and discard. Bring the braising liquid to a boil and reduce by about half, until thick and saucy. Depending on how much liquid there is this should take between 7-15 minutes.

  • Transfer the braising sauce to a serving dish and lay the chicken over it. Top with squeezes of the lemon wedges and serve.

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