Creamy But Lean Chicken And Leeks Recipes

ONE PAN CREAMY CHICKEN WITH BACON AND LEEKS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200°C/390°F.
• Pat the chicken dry with paper towels then season generously with salt.
• Place the chicken, skin-side down, in a large, deep pan or braised.
• Place the pan over medium-high heat and allow the chicken to brown, rendering its fat, for 8-10 minutes. Flip over and cook for another 5 minutes then remove from the pan.
• In the same pan, add the bacon and cook for a few minutes until it's starting to crisp.
• Add the leeks and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the leeks are starting to soften.
• Add the garlic, thyme and mustard and cook for a minute.
• Pour in the white wine and lemon juice and allow to reduce for a few minutes.
• Pour in the cream and chicken stock and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
• Add the chicken back to the sauce then place in a preheated oven and allow to bake for 15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has reduced slightly.
• Taste and adjust seasoning by adding more salt, pepper and lemon.
• Serve the chicken and sauce over rice or mashed potatoes.

PAN-ROASTED CHICKEN WITH LEEKS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Put the bacon in a large heavy-bottomed ovenproof skillet and cook over medium-high heat until some of the fat renders, about 5 minutes. Push the bacon to the side of the pan. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then add it to the pan and cook, turning, until it starts to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and leeks, then arrange the chicken on top of the bacon-leek mixture. Transfer to the oven and roast until the chicken is golden and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 160 degrees F, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a platter.
• Carefully return the skillet to the stovetop over medium-high heat. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add the broth and half-and-half and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Bring to a boil and cook until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice. Spoon the leek mixture over the chicken. Serve with the remaining lemon wedges.
• Per serving: Calories 418; Fat 24 g (Saturated 8 g); Cholesterol 147 mg; Sodium 322 mg; Carbohydrate 14 g; Fiber 1 g; Protein 34 g

CREAMED CHICKEN AND LEEKS

Steps:

• Heat the butter in a saucepan. When foaming subsides, but before it gets brown add the leeks and celery and 1/4 cup of the chicken broth. Cover and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes; do not let it get brown. Add the chicken, skin side up along with bouquet garni and enough of the broth to just cover the chicken. Cover and simmer, over very low heat for 30 minutes or until chicken is just cooked through. Remove chicken from the broth; remove and discard skin and bones and cut chicken into chunks. Remove and discard bouquet garni.
• Puree the liquid through a food mill and return it to the saucepan. Add remaining broth and boil it down until reduced to 4 cups. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add lemon juice to chicken and set in microwavable dish.
• Blend egg yolks and cream together. Very slowly ladle 1 cup of hot broth into the mixture. Return this tempered mixture to the soup and bring to under a simmer to thicken. Reheat chicken for a minute in microwave oven and distribute it among 4 soup plates. Ladle thickened broth over chicken and garnish with parsley. Serve over boiled potatoes or with bread

CHICKEN WITH LEEKS AND CREAM

Steps:

• Tear up the chicken meat into bite sized pieces.
• Cut the leeks into 2-inch pieces up to the point where the leek begins to turn green. Slice the piece once lengthwise, and divide the leaves. Rinse if dirty.
• Saute the leek stems and garlic in the oil. Then, add leek leaves, if desired. Do not allow the leaves to discolor; you simply want to cook them until they are barely tender.
• Add the chicken to the pan, and cook it until hot. Add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Mix well, and add the cream. Heat, and serve. Decorate with parsley.

BRAISED CHICKEN BREASTS ON CREAMY LEEKS

Steps:

• Halve leeks lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces.
• Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil and 1/2 tablespoon butter in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then brown chicken on both sides, about 4 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.
• Add wine to skillet and deglaze by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until reduced to about 2 tablespoons, 1 to 2 minutes. Add leeks and remaining 2 tablespoons butter and salt and pepper to taste, then simmer over moderately low heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until leeks are wilted, about 10 minutes. Stir in broth. Top leeks with chicken breasts and juices from plate, then gently simmer over low heat, covered, until leeks are tender and chicken is just cooked through, about 8 minutes .
• Transfer chicken breasts to a plate. Add cream to skillet and boil over high heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve chicken on top of leeks.