I kind just wanna talk about me. It’s my first favorite subject (my second, being food) and we haven’t done it in a while. Should we talk about me? or do you want my overture on Simply Braised Chicken Thighs with Root Vegetables. Yep, just knew it was going to be the Chicken Thighs. We can talk about me at a later date. Meaty thighs win every time.
(I know that’s a horribly bad joke. It might not even be considered a joke. I mean, did anyone on the whole world wide web laugh at that? Yeah, no. I’ll work on it.)
I made these eight chicken thighs a few Sundays ago and, because I am just one person, I invited over a handful of friends to come feast. No one came. That was a Big, Sad Evening. And so I ate eight chicken thighs all on my own. It took me about two weeks because I ate lots of other foods in between and I froze half of them at some point and then defrosted them at another. Nevertheless, my belly is eight chicken thighs larger and my heart is eight chicken thighs happier.
This dish is Comfort Food at its most basic. It’s full of familiar, homegrown flavors. It’s the kind of dinner you eat on the coziest couch, in a fleece blanket tangle, sipping red wine. If you want to get REALLY perfect, you would have a handsome gentleman spoon-feeding you while reading from a great classic novel. Maybe he has an accent. Or a man bun. Or 8-pack abs. I’m not sure what you’re into. (Or what I’m into, for that matter.)
Anyway. You could dress up this chicken thigh dish — add sprigs of rosemary, make it wintery and holiday-esque. Or you could choose to enjoy and appreciate the simplicity. And in this crazy life, all I’m craving right now is simplicity.
[Also, a dietitian FYI – Comfort Food usually connotes something starchy or cheesy, high in fat, high in calories – I didn’t use anything here that I have second thoughts about eating. Remove the skin and excess fat from those chicken thighs and you have a comfort dish you should feel good about. Ahem, that’s why I ate ALL OF IT. On my own.]
Simply Braised Chicken Thighs with Winter Root Vegetables
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 3 pounds chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 cup carrots cut in 2-inch strips
- 1 1/2 cup parsnips cut in 2-inch strips
- 1 cup yellow onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic halved
- 1/2 cup white cooking wine
- 2 cups chicken broth
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.
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In a wide, flat bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, paprika, salt, and pepper. Dredge the chicken thigh and discard any leftover flour mixture.
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In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high. Add the chicken and brown about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a 9x13-inch casserole dish.
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In the same skillet used for the chicken, saute the carrots, parsnips, onion, and garlic 2-3 minutes. Add wine and chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, pour into the casserole dish over the chicken. Place in oven and cook about 2 hours until the chicken is cooked through, but tender and juicy, and the vegetables are fork-tender.
