Chicken of the Week: Braised Chicken with Cilantro, Mint and Chiles

foodandwine.com

By Food & Wine

One of F&W Senior Recipe Developer Grace Parisi's favorite tricks for cooking chicken drumsticks: Slice the meat to the bone before braising to help them cook more quickly. Skinless, boneless thighs also work well in this vibrant, herb-packed stew. Great Braising Recipes

Braised Chicken with Cilantro, Mint and Chiles
INGREDIENTS
4 chicken drumsticks
4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1 tablespoon ground coriander
Salt
Freshly ground white pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup packed cilantro, plus leaves for garnish
1/2 cup packed mint leaves
1 small onion, quartered
2 poblano chiles, stemmed and seeded
1 jalapeño, stemmed and seeded
1/2 cup light cream or half-and-half
Sliced pickled jalapeños, cooked rice and warm naan, for serving

DIRECTIONS
1. Make 3 slashes to the bone in each drumstick. Rub the chicken all over with the coriander and season with salt and white pepper.
2. In a large Dutch oven or enameled cast-iron casserole, heat the oil. Add the chicken and cook over high heat, turning occasionally, until browned all over, about 8 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a blender or food processor, combine the 1 cup of cilantro with the mint, onion, poblanos and jalapeño and blend until finely chopped. Add the cream and 1/2 cup of water and puree until smooth.
4. Pour the green sauce over the chicken and bring to a boil. Cover partially and simmer over moderately low heat until the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle the chicken with cilantro and serve with jalapeños, rice and naan.

Make Ahead The stew can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.

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