Low and Slow To The Braisy-Chain

A few weeks ago I was tagged by Talk of Tomatoes to join The Braisy Chain. Just what is a Braisy Chain you ask? Well, I’ll tell you. It’s the brainchild of Swirling Notions as a fantastic way to while the winter away. There’s nothing like a good braise- the slow cooking process ensures that every bite of your braise is chock full of flavor. Common braises often include cuts of meat that benefit best from a long, slow cooking process. Tough cuts of beef, like brisket are rendered tender by the slow simmering process involved in a braise. Roasts are often braised, and technically, stews would be part of the braise category as well.

I decided to re-visit an old favorite braise for my contribution to the Swirling Notions Braisy Chain. From my New York Times Chicken Cookbook comes Braised Chicken Legs in Mustard Sauce. Every time I make this I amazed at the depth of flavors from very simple and minimal ingredients. Chicken Legs themselves are underappreciated, and this dish puts them straight into the spotlight where, they too, deserve some time to shine. The braise itself couldn’t be simpler. First, the chicken legs are browned in oil (browning = flavor my friends, don’t skip this part!), followed by finely chopped onion and celery. Then rosemary, beer and broth are added before returning the legs to the pot. And that’s almost it. The chicken simmers away for 45 minutes, and then dijon or whole-grain mustard is added and incorporated along with some parsley. Today though, I decided to throw caution to the wind and try perking up the sauce even more and added a shot of white wine vinegar to the sauce. Oh golly did that create some magic all by itself! I could have slurped the sauce up by itself with a spoon!

This was a favorite last winter, and remains so this winter. So simple, so easy, and so delicious. Do you have a favorite braise? Do you need to tell the world about it? Then you need to join The Swirling Notions Braisy Chain! I realize I’ve been doling out the tags this week, but far be it from me to be the one person to break the chain! So I’m going to dish out the tags to:

• Elisabeth from Cooking In Cathedral Hill
• Mimi from French Kitchen In America (maybe a good braise will chase away the winter doldrums)
• Michelle from Cooking The Books
• and Josie from 1 Kitchen, 2 Dogs and a Girl

Braised Chicken Legs in Mustard Sauce

3 Tbs. Olive Oil

12 chicken legs

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 cup finely chopped celery

1/2 tsp rosemary, fresh or dried (I used fresh)

1/4 cup dark beer (I omitted)

1/2 cup chicken stock or brown stock

1/4 cup wholegrain prepared mustard (I used Luzianne Creole Mustard- our fave)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons white wine vinegar

2 Tbs chopped fresh Italian parsley

1. Heat the oil in a heavy casserole large enough to hold the chicken tightly in a single layer. Add half the chicken legs, brown over high heat, remove from the pan and repeat with remaining chicken. Lower heat, add the onions and celery. Saute until tender, about 8 minutes. Stir int he rosemary, beer, and stock.

2. Return the browned chicken to the pot, cover and cook over low heat until it is cooked through, about 45 minutes, turning once during cooking.

3. Remove the chicken from the pot and increase the heat to high. Stir in the mustard, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the white wine vinegar and return the chicken to the pan, basting it with the mustard sauce. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and spoon the sauce over the top. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.