To quote Cole Porter, “It’s too darn hot” (you now have Ella Fitzgerald singing in your head…. you’re welcome).
Too hot for using the oven, at any rate. Maybe not everywhere in the country, and some of us may have air conditioning or other house-related cooling, but at my house, the oven is just not an option. This leaves grilling and the stovetop until cooler autumn arrives—or making salads or other dishes that require no cooking whatsoever.
So here’s a dish I’ve been making for years (it’s perfect for winter, too).
CHICKEN BRAISED WITH BACON AND POTATOES
2 large red-skinned potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch dice
2 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 skinless boneless chicken thighs
1 c frozen pearl onions, thawed, drained
1/3 c chicken broth
1/2 t dried thyme
Parsley, chopped
Cook potatoes in medium saucepan of boiling water 4 minutes. Drain.
Saute bacon in skillet until crisp and brown; drain on paper towels. Season chicken generously with pepper. Add to skillet of bacon drippings and cook over medium-high heat until brown, about 2 minutes per side. Reduce heat to low. Add potatoes, onions, broth, and thyme. Cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender, about 18 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with bacon and cook until sauce thickens slightly, basting chicken occasionally, about 5 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve.
I’ve written many times before about adjusting recipes, so here’s what I did differently last time. First, I only had a chicken breast, so I cut that up into smaller pieces. I also decided to slice a whole onion, rather than use the frozen pearl onions. And finally, I used regular potatoes, because I…. forgot to buy red potatoes at the store, ghost muttered shamefully. Nevertheless, it was still delicious!
Here’s another, similar recipe, that’s a bit more involved, but nothing too difficult. It makes more, so you may need to cut it in half, or smaller.
SKILLET CHICKEN WITH PEAS, LEEKS, BACON
Olive oil
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, quartered
fine sea salt and coarse black pepper to taste
3.5 ounces smoked bacon lardons, or 3-4 slices thick-cut bacon
4 baby leeks, finely sliced
1 c warm chicken stock
1/4 c white wine
2 c frozen baby peas
1/2 T grainy Dijon mustard
1 baby gem lettuce, shredded
a large handful of fresh tarragon, chopped
a large handful of fresh parsley, chopped
Heat oil in large flame proof casserole dish, or a skillet with a lid over medium high heat. Season the chicken with salt and black pepper. Add chicken to pan in batches and brown all over, removing pieces as they brown. Add bacon and cook until crispy. (I usually drain off some/most of the fat at this point) Lower heat and add the leeks; cook until they begin to soften. Return chicken to pan. Add chicken stock and wine. Stir and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring after 5 minutes.
Add frozen peas; stir and cover. Simmer 5 more minutes. The chicken should be cooked through. Stir in the mustard, lettuce, tarragon, parsley. Adjust seasoning as required. Cover and remove from the heat. Let stand for several minutes to wilt the lettuce and then serve immediately.
Bon appétit, everyone!
What’s for Dinner? is a Saturday evening get-together where friends share recipes, talk about good food and help others answer culinary questions. We also have a handy post with links from our archives here: Master Index 2014-2021
We welcome you to our virtual table every Saturday evening 4:30 PT/7:30 ET. If you would like to write a post for an upcoming date just send a message to ninkasi23!
