With in the present day’s seemingly countless provide of sensible weeknight hen recipes, it may be straightforward to overlook that, as soon as upon a time, hen was thought of a delicacy.
Thumbing by way of my copy of The Escoffier Cookbook, I used to be struck by the opulence connected to the hen. It starred in dozens of recipes, wrapped in puff pastry, drenched in cream, swathed in sheets of aged ham, filled with truffles, basted with Madeira. There wasn’t a traybake dinner in sight.
And all these recipes gave me precisely the inspiration I wanted to create a creamy, wine-braised hen dish that’s deluxe sufficient for a vacation meal, although not that rather more difficult than what I’d make on any given Tuesday.
The very first thing is to seek out some actually good hen. If you may get it from a farmers’ market, all the higher. In any other case, search for air-chilled, antibiotic-free and ideally natural hen on the grocery store. Will probably be costlier than a regular hen, however going huge on hen remains to be much less of a splurge than shopping for many different traditional, meaty vacation choices.
Then there are the mushrooms within the recipe, which may be as extravagant as you want. Creminis, shiitakes and white buttons will work completely, though in case you’re going all out, specialty mushrooms like king, hen-of-the-woods and chanterelles add an much more intense flavour. Or use a mix: a number of earthy black trumpets will go a good distance within the pot.
You’ll additionally want some wine for the sauce. Widespread kitchen knowledge dictates including a splash from the bottle you’re planning to drink at dinner. However I often use wine left over from dinner the evening or two earlier than. When sealed and saved within the fridge, leftover wine is completely advantageous for cooking, and you should utilize any (dry) selection for this adaptable braise. Meaning white, purple, rosé or perhaps a glowing or orange wine, if that’s what you’ve obtained.
Like all braises, this one will get higher after sitting in a single day. Put together it up till the second whenever you would stir within the crème fraîche, then stick it within the fridge for as much as two days. Heat it over low warmth on the stovetop, or in a 180C oven for 20 to half-hour. Then stir within the crème fraîche and garnishes.
Serve it with crusty bread, polenta, rice or a heap of buttered noodles, with extra crème fraîche on the facet for optimum richness – and most pleasure.
Wine-braised hen with mushrooms and leeks
(Getty/iStock)
By: Melissa Clark
Serves: 4
Complete time: 1 hour
Elements:
1.6kg hen, reduce into 8 items (or use 1.6kg bone-in hen elements)
2 tsp salt, plus extra as wanted
½ tsp freshly floor black pepper, plus extra as wanted
4 garlic cloves
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra as wanted
2 tbsp unsalted butter
100g thinly sliced mushroms (ideally specialty mushrooms, comparable to king, hen-of-the-woods, chanterelles or black trumpet, or a mix)
2 giant leeks, halved and thinly sliced into half-moons (use white and light-weight inexperienced elements)
2 to three rosemary sprigs
180ml dry white wine (or use a dry purple or rosé)
60g crème fraîche, plus extra for serving if desired
2 tbsp chopped chives
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest, plus extra for serving
Handful finely chopped recent parsley, leaves and tender stems, to style
Technique:
1. Pat hen dry with paper towels. Season throughout with 1½ teaspoons salt and the black pepper. Finely grate, move by way of a press or mince 2 garlic cloves. Put aside half the grated garlic for ending the dish. Rub the remaining all around the hen items. Put aside the hen whereas making ready the opposite substances.
2. In a casserole dish over medium-high warmth, mix 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter. When the butter melts, add hen in batches and cook dinner till browned on either side, 4 to six minutes per facet. If the pan dries out, add slightly extra oil as wanted. Switch browned hen to a plate.
3. Add remaining tablespoon every oil and butter to the pan. As soon as the butter melts, add mushrooms and cook dinner undisturbed till nicely browned on one facet, 2 to three minutes. Stir and cook dinner for 1 minute longer.
4. Thinly slice 2 garlic cloves. Scale back warmth to medium, and stir in sliced garlic, leeks and a big pinch every of salt and pepper. Prepare dinner, stirring sometimes, till leeks are tender and golden brown, 7 minutes. Add rosemary and wine to the pot and let simmer, scraping up the browned bits, till liquid reduces by half, about 1 minute.
5. Nestle hen, pores and skin facet up, into the pan and pour in any gathered juices from the plate. Scale back warmth to medium-low and cook dinner, coated, till hen is cooked by way of, 25 to 35 minutes.
6. Switch hen to a serving platter and tent with foil to maintain heat. Pluck the rosemary sprigs from the pot. If the sauce appears skinny, flip the warmth to medium-high and let simmer till it thickens barely, 2 to five minutes. Stir within the remaining grated garlic, the crème fraîche, chives and lemon zest. Style sauce and add extra salt if wanted. Spoon sauce over the hen and prime with parsley, extra lemon zest and a dollop of crème fraîche, in case you like, and serve.
© The New York Instances
Kaynak: briturkish.com
