Chicken Thighs in Wine and Vinegar
Skillet Roasted New Potatoes
Sautéed Snow Peas (mangetout, pea pods)
Cooking time: 30 minutes for menu Cooking schedule: see below for instructions
Chicken thighs are a nice change from breasts; skin or not as you choose.
Chicken Thighs in Wine and Vinegar
Total time: 25 minutes
I skinned the thighs, but left the bone. They are braised in a flavorful white wine, Balsamic vinegar and herb sauce.
Ingredients:
- 4 chicken thighs
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup (4oz, 120ml) chicken stock
- 1/2 cup (4oz, 120ml) white wine
- 3 tbs Balsamic wine vinegar
- 2 tbs tomato paste
- 1/2 tsp marjoram
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 2 tsp cornstarch (corn flour, maizena) dissolved in 2 tbs water
Instructions:
- Skin the thighs by simply pulling it off. You may need to cut in a few places. Discard skin.
- Finely chop onion and mince garlic.
- Heat oil in medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add chicken thighs and brown on both sides, about 5 minutes.
- Add onion, garlic and sauté 5 minutes longer.
- Add stock, wine, vinegar, tomato paste, herbs and stir to combine.
- Turn the thighs once or twice to coat with sauce. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.
- To finish: Remove thighs to a small platter.
- Dissolve cornstarch in water.
- Increase heat under sauce, add cornstarch and stir until thickened and clear.
- Spoon over chicken thighs and serve.
Skillet Roasted New Potatoes
Total time: 30 minutes
New potatoes are very thin-skinned, immature potatoes. They have a short shelf life, usually only a few days before they start turning green and need to be added to the compost pile. You probably can only get them at the farmer's markets - but try, if you can. They're worth it. If not, substitute the small 'creamer' potatoes.
Ingredients:
- 10 - 16 small new potatoes
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 tbs butter
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
Instructions:
- Scrub the new potatoes but leave whole.
- Heat oil in a medium, nonstick skillet over medium high heat.
- Add new potatoes and sauté 5 minutes, shaking and rolling them about.
- Reduce heat to low, cover partially and cook for 25 minutes, or until very tender.
- When ready to serve, add butter, roll them around to coat, sprinkle with salt and serve.
Sautéed Snow Peas (mangetout, pea pods)
Total time: 10 minutes
Another of those fleeting spring vegetables. Some say they are best eaten while standing in the garden and pulling them off the vine. This is second best.
Ingredients:
- 4oz (120gr) snow peas, mangetout
- 1 tsp butter
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp fresh or dried chives
- Salt and pepper
Instructions:
- Clean pea pods - snip off the stem end.
- Heat butter and oil in nonstick skillet over medium heat.
- Add pea pods, chives, and sauté 5 - 10 minutes, depending on size, stirring frequently.
- Taste, when they are done to your liking, remove, add salt and pepper and serve.
Cooking schedule: 30 minutes
Assemble all food, utensils and serving dishes
Utensils: measuring cups, spoons, knives,
large skillet with lid, 2 medium skillets, one lid
Scrub potatoes
Sauté potatoes over medium-high heat
Turn heat to low, cover partially, cook
Skin chicken thighs
Brown chicken thighs
Chop onion
Mince garlic
Turn thighs
Add onion, garlic to thighs, sauté |
Give potatoes a shake
Add stock, wine, paste, vinegar, herbs to chicken
Cover, reduce heat, simmer
Trim snow peas
Pause while stuff cooks
Shake potatoes
Sauté snow peas, chives
Pause some more
Everything ready?
Dissolve cornstarch in water, thicken sauce
Butter potatoes
Salt, pepper snow peas
Serve |