Creamy Braised Chicken with Carrots, Thyme, and Wine

This morning I woke up to the sound of freezing rain falling against the glass skylight above our bed, and I was reminded that we are still in the bondage of winter. Dreams of garden-fresh tomatoes be damned. But us Do There is plenty of delicious produce at this time of year too, although it may not be as shiny and glamorous as the juicy tomato. Instead, I present to you the humble carrot. A little dirty, sometimes lumpy and with stringy roots that go here and there. But it’s so crunchy, so sweet, and packed with nutrients and flavor that help us get through the cold months, body and soul intact. And because I love a simple, hearty meal this time of year, I combined it with my other winter comfort food, chicken. Yes, that’s two chicken recipes in two weeks. That should tell you something about the storms we’ve had!

But this isn’t your grandmother’s braised chicken (unless you love adding Greek yogurt to hers, in which case give her a hug for me). It starts with a nice marinade based on garlic, thyme and green onion. You can leave the chicken in the marinade overnight or for at least 2 hours if you forgot about it the night before. Next, you brown the chicken in butter (yum!), then remove the chicken and cook the vegetables, including carrots. Then make a small well in the center and add a little oil and spices, like paprika and curry powder, and tomato paste for some savory goodness. And then you add white wine to deglaze the pan and melt all the delicious browned bits into the sauce. Then more broth and the chicken itself come back for a nice braise over low heat. Once ready, pour in a little broth and add the Greek yogurt, then put everything back in the pot to add a nice creamy flavor to the dish. And there’s nothing like that tangy tang of yogurt.

Honestly, it’s heaven! And while I originally intended to start it on the stovetop and then braise in the oven, we had no electricity the day I was developing this recipe (thanks, ice storm), so I prepped everything on the stovetop using a match to light the kitchen gas ( the oven part of our kitchen is electric). But if you wanted to braise it in the oven with a heat-proof lid, you could definitely do that. Do this at 375 degrees Fahrenheit until the thigh joint reaches at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit. If you want it to be very tender, you could cook it longer (low and slow, babyyyy). Regardless, the flavor is wonderful and deeply comforting! I recommend having something on hand to soak up all the delicious juices, like crusty bread or rice or whatever emmer (this last one is my favorite. It’s so chewy! Jeremy hates it, but I’m obsessed.)

Enjoy, dear reader, and I’ll be back soon with another recipe in tow 🙂

Creamy braised chicken with carrots and white wine

This succulent braised chicken is cooked with sweet carrots, caramelized onions, fresh herbs and white wine for a comforting dinner.

White pepper marinade

1
teaspoon
white pepper
1
teaspoon
kosher salt
2
teaspoons
fresh thyme leaves
2
green onions
chopped
2
cloves
minced garlic
5
lbs
chicken
bone with skin, broken into individual pieces (breast, thighs, etc.)

Creamy braised chicken with carrots and white wine

2
yellow onions
sliced thinly
2
celery sticks
cut into ½-inch thick slices
3/4
pound
carrots
cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
3
cloves
garlic
chopped
3
teaspoon
kosher salt
1
table spoon
olive oil
1
table spoon
tomato paste
2
teaspoons
paprika
1
teaspoon
curry powder
1/4
teaspoon
black pepper
2
spoons
Flour
2
cups
white wine
1
cup
vegetable broth
1
bay leaf
5
fresh thyme sprigs
1
table spoon
tomato paste
2/3
cup
plain greek yogurt
full of fat
4
cups
cooked brown or white rice
to serve
¼
cup
fresh parsley leaves
to serve

White pepper marinade

In a small bowl, mix together the white pepper, salt, and thyme leaves. Add the green onions and minced garlic and stir to combine. Rub the chicken pieces with the mixture, then place them in a bowl or airtight container, cover and refrigerate overnight or at least 2 hours.

Creamy braised chicken with carrots and white wine

Heat 4 tablespoons butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown chicken until browned, about 4 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken and set aside.
Add the onions to the same pan you browned the chicken in and sauté until the onions are browned around the edges, about 8 minutes or so, stirring every 3 to 4 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, garlic and 1 teaspoon salt and stir to combine. Brown another 4 minutes, then create a small gap in the center of the pan and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the tomato paste on top of the oil and also the paprika, curry powder and black pepper in the gap . Toast the paste + spices for 1 minute, then sprinkle the contents of the pan with flour and stir to combine.
Add the white wine 1/2 cup at a time, stirring after each addition to help dissolve any browned bits on the bottom of the pan and create a juicy sauce. Add the vegetable broth, bay leaf, thyme sprigs, 2 teaspoons of salt and leave to cook without a lid for 5 minutes. Then place the chicken pieces in the pan, cover and cook over low heat for 80 minutes, turning the chicken once halfway through cooking.
Once cooked, place the Greek yogurt in a small bowl. Ladle in ½ cup pan juices, stirring constantly. Add another half cup of pan juice to the yogurt bowl, beating until smooth. Add the yoghurt mixture back to the pan with the chicken, give it a gentle push and stir the ingredients to incorporate the yoghurt. Remove from heat, add additional salt or pepper to taste, garnish with fresh parsley and serve with cooked rice.