Chicken Ghiveci Romanian Braised Chicken Recipes

GHIVECI---ROMANIAN VEGETABLE STEW

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large stewpot or Dutch oven.
• Add the onion, carrots, and peppers. Saute over medium heat until onions are transparent. (About 5 minutes).
• Add garlic, potatoes, and cabbage. If using kohlrabi add it now. Saute for about 3 minutes.
• Add water and tomatoes, salt and pepper, and thyme and paprika. Bring to a boil.
• Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are almost tender.
• Add the other optional veggies (eggplant etc.) of your choice. Return to a boil, cover and simmer.
• Simmer, covered for about 20 more minutes or until the vegetables are soft and flavors have blended.
• Add frozen peas, fresh herbs, and lemon juice. Cook for five minutes with the cover on.
• Serve hot with rice. This is a treat!

GARLIC-BRAISED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large Dutch oven over medium-high, add enough oil to lightly coat the bottom. Season the chicken with salt on both sides, then add to the pot skin side down. Cook until the skin turns golden and crispy, 8 to 10 minutes. If the skin browns too quickly, lower the heat. Flip, and sear the other side briefly, about 1 minute. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
• Add the garlic to the schmaltzy oil over medium-high, and stir until fragrant and very lightly golden at the edges, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the white pepper, then immediately add the wine and 1 cup water. Scrape up any stuck-on bits from the bottom of the pot while bringing the liquid to a simmer. Nestle the chicken in the pot skin side up, cover and cook in the oven until the chicken and garlic are meltingly tender, and the wine has reduced, about 1 hour. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt if needed. Serve with rice.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH LEMON AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Season well with salt and pepper and place in an earthenware baking dish in one layer, skin side up. Sprinkle with red pepper, garlic, fennel and rosemary and drizzle with olive oil. Rub seasoning into thighs on all sides. Tuck lemon wedges here and there. Let marinate for 15 minutes. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
• Put baking dish in oven, uncovered, and roast until skin browns lightly, about 20 minutes. Scatter olives evenly over chicken and add broth. Cover tightly and bake for 1 hour, until meat is very tender when probed with a skewer.
• Remove thighs and lemon wedges and arrange on a platter. Keep warm. Pour pan juices into a saucepan and quickly skim fat from surface. Over high heat, simmer rapidly until reduced by half. Spoon juices over chicken, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

ROMANIAN SOUR CREAM CHICKEN

Steps:

• Clean chicken and cut into pieces.
• Brown pieces in hot butter in heavy frying pan, then remove chicken to casserole.
• Reheat butter in pan and add flour, blending carefully. Heat and stir until mixture is light brown. Cool roux thoroughly. Will not curdle if roux is cooled before sour cream is added.
• Add sour cream slowly, mix well and simmer for a few minutes. Pour this over chicken in casserole. Add mushrooms, seasonings, parsley and scallions (green tops and all) and water. Sprinkle paprika over mixture.
• Cover tightly, place in a 325 degree oven and cook for 1 1/2 hours, or until chicken is tender.
• The sauce that is made is VERY thin, so I would make a larger roux, or at the end add a thickener.

PAN-BRAISED CHICKEN WITH VEGETABLES IN BALSAMIC-CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Spread chicken thighs on a clean work surface. Pat dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt and pepper. Sprinkle 1/2 of the Italian seasoning all over them.
• Heat oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken thighs and brown for 3 minutes per side. Remove chicken to a plate and keep warm.
• Add onions to the same skillet and stir up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions just start to become tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until they begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and remaining Italian seasoning. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Cook and stir for 1 minute.
• Add chicken broth and return chicken thighs to the skillet. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until chicken juices run clear, about 15 minutes. An instant-read thermometer should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Remove chicken to a cutting board and cut into bite-sized pieces.
• Return chicken to the skillet and increase heat to medium. Add tomatoes and spinach. Cook and stir until tomatoes are heated through and spinach is tender, but still bright green, about 3 minutes.
• Stir in 1/2 cup heavy cream and balsamic vinegar; bring to a gentle boil. Cook and stir for 3 minutes. If you prefer a creamier sauce, add more cream. Serve with shaved Parmesan cheese.

BRAISE-ROASTED CHICKEN WITH LEMON AND CARROTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Cut backbone from chicken using kitchen shears and save backbone for another use. Flip chicken, breast-side up, and forcefully press chicken down to flatten; season generously with salt.
• Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe cast iron skillet over medium-high heat; pan-fry chicken, skin-side down, until golden, 6 to 7 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate, skin-side up.
• Cook and stir onion in oil in the same skillet until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add beer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Continue cooking until most of the beer is reduced, 2 to 4 minutes more. Stir chicken broth, carrots, lemon, rosemary, and thyme into beer mixture. Arrange chicken, skin-side up, over vegetables.
• Roast in the preheated oven until chicken is golden brown and crispy, about 50 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Transfer chicken and vegetables to a large platter and let rest, uncovered.
• Bring remaining broth and juices in the skillet to a boil and cook until sauce is thickened, about 10 minutes. Season sauce with salt.
• Slice chicken and serve with sauce.

CREAMY BRAISED CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven or large kettle, bring 6 cups water to a boil. Add pearl onions; boil for 3 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water; peel and set aside. In the same pan, saute sliced onion, carrot and celery in 1 tablespoon butter until tender. Remove vegetables; set aside., Add chicken to pan; brown on both sides. Remove and keep warm. Add wine; simmer until reduced to 1/2 cup. Stir in broth and seasonings. Return chicken to pan; cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until juices run clear. Remove chicken to a serving platter; keep warm. , Combine flour and milk until smooth; gradually stir into pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Return vegetables to pan. Remove from the heat; cover and set aside., In a nonstick skillet, saute pearl onions in remaining butter until tender. Remove and set aside. In the same pan, saute mushrooms until tender. Add the onions and mushrooms to serving platter. Discard bay leaf from sauce; spoon over chicken and vegetables.

CHICKEN GHIVECI (ROMANIAN BRAISED CHICKEN)

Steps:

• heat oil in large wok or casserole pan until hot enough to cook.
• add onions and garlic stir frying 1 min until soft.
• add bell pepper and stir fry for 1 minute
• add chicken cut ups and brown both sides 10-13 minutes.
• add rest of ingredients, stir fry for 1 min then cover and cook for 40-45 mins until the chicken looks cooked and there's no blood when pierced by a fork near the bones.
• garnish with thyme or rosemary (optional) and serve with bread or rice.