Most nights we all need a dinner recipe that comes together in a snap. But a few times a year, we love to spend a little more time in the kitchen, whipping up something that feels just a little fancier.
Now that’s not to say that we’re looking to make something complicated with a lot of technique or skill. Or something that requires expensive, hard-to-source ingredients. On the contrary, we want a dish that looks and tastes elegant, made with simple ingredients, that doesn’t make us want to throw in the towel from tricky cutting/folding/slicing/proofing.
This Braised Chicken in Red Wine Sauce over Root Vegetable Mash is made for these nights.
Whether you’re planning a date-night-in with your sweetheart after you get the kids down to bed or you just want to treat yourself to a little something extra, this Braised Chicken dish is a balance of feeling fancy and taking a bit of time without being over the top.
The chicken slow roasts in a sauce made from shallots, garlic, lots of red wine, and fresh herbs. Then we serve it atop a bed of garlicky mashed root vegetables. It’s cozy, soul-warming and keeps you coming back for more.
It’s true, this dish will take a bit of time to pull together, but the vast majority of the cooking time is spent letting the chicken bubble away in its sauce in the oven – totally hands-off.
First, we’ll sear the chicken to lock in the moisture. Then we’ll start to build the flavor in the pan by sauteing shallots, garlic and carrots. Next we’ll deglaze the pan with a few good glugs of red wine. Once that’s bubbling, we add in lots of fresh thyme and rosemary. Let the chicken cook away in the oven while we prep the mash.
By combining regular potatoes and sweet potatoes with a turnip or rutabaga or parsnips, we can make a vegetable mash that’s lighter than traditional mashed potatoes with far more flavor. Add in a little garlic and a handful of chopped chives and you’ve got a gorgeous base to soak up all that delicious, shiny sauce from the chicken.
Once the chicken’s done braising, we’ll put the sauce back over the stovetop for a few minutes to thicken and voila! Fancy dinner without too much fuss.
One of the best things about this dish is that it uses chicken quarters – a cut where the leg and thigh are still attached. It’s an inexpensive piece of meat that’s easy to find and cooks relatively quickly.
By combining this un-fancy cut with a luscious sauce packed with loads of flavor and served on top of a creamy, light vegetable mash, this dish becomes elevated without being stuffy or over-the-top.
In fact, it’s completely cozy and delicious and perfect for a cold winter night.
