Cookie Interruption: Delicious Dinner Post

We are interrupting the cookie marathon with a recipe from dinner last night!

Now I am going to post the true recipe (Thanks Food and Wine - but I drank beer with this!) and insert my own variations to "keep it real".


On the chalkboard menu we have:

Braised Chicken Legs with Green Olives

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 whole chicken legs (3/4 pound each) - MINE, 2.25LB PKG BONELESS SKINLESS THIGHS
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 ounces thickly sliced lean bacon, cut into 1/4-inch dice - MINE, NOT SO LEAN
1 medium onion, chopped
3 carrots, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 small turnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces - MINE, A LITTLE LARGER CHUNKS
1 cup pitted green olives, preferably Picholine - MINE,CHEAP AND WITH PIMENTOS
2 large thyme sprigs - MINE,GENEROUS SPRINKLE OF DRIED
1 bay leaf
2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large cast-iron casserole, heat the oil until shimmering. Season the chicken with salt and pepper (DRY WELL OR IT WILL POP AND BURN YOU LIKE HELL). Add 3 of the legs to the casserole and cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate and brown the remaining 3 legs over moderate heat.

2. Pour off the fat in the casserole (USE BIG STRONG MAN FOR HELP WITH HEAVY PAN FILLED WITH HOT OIL). Add the bacon, onion, carrots and turnips and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until barely softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the olives, thyme sprigs, bay leaf and stock. Nestle (IE: SHOVE) the chicken legs in the casserole so they are partially submerged and bring to a boil. Cover with a tight-fitting lid. Transfer the casserole to the oven and cook for about 45 minutes, until the chicken and vegetables are tender. (FINISH YOUR BEER/WINE DURING THIS TIME AND FIND SOME FANCY RICE TO COOK - MINE WAS RICE'A'RONI)

3. Transfer the chicken and vegetables to a platter; cover and keep warm. Strain the broth into a large measuring cup and skim off as much fat as possible. Return the broth to the casserole and boil until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Return the chicken and vegetables to the casserole, cover and cook for 5 minutes to heat through, then serve.

Also good to know: relatively cheap, new appreciation for turnips, makes the house smell good and makes the strong man feel useful.

ENJOY!