Cultivating Sustainability

This is a great autumn or late winter recipe that uses a variety of root vegetables and even some new spring vegetables, such as fingerling potatoes. The combination of cream, chicken and savory/sweet root vegetables creates a delicious, hearty dish. Serve over rice or with a big piece of fresh sourdough bread. Recipe adapted from Chicken in Riesling at epicurious.com. (*Indicates Star Hollow Farm produce.)

(Cook’s Note: The recipe from epicurious.com indicates that the chicken dish should braise in the oven for about 20-25 minutes. The first time I cooked this it took more like 1 hour before the carrots and parsnips were tender. I recommend sauteing the carrots and parsnips with the onions (as I indicate in my version of the directions below) to speed up the cooking process.)

INGREDIENTS

• 2 lb free-range, organic chicken breast on bone with skin
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 3 medium yellow onions, chopped*
• 6 medium carrots (red, orange, golden, purple and red varieties), peeled and sliced*
• 2-4 medium parsnips, peeled and sliced*
• 1 cup dry white wine (such as Riesling)
• 1 1/2 pound small (2-inch) fingerling potatoes
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
• Fresh lemon juice to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350F with rack in middle.
2. Pat chicken dry and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and a rounded 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Heat oil with 1 tablespoon butter in a wide 3 1/2- to 5-quart heavy ovenproof pot over medium-high heat until foam subsides, then brown chicken in 2 batches, turning once, about 10 minutes total per batch. Transfer to a plate.
3. Meanwhile, prepare onions, carrots, and parsnips and pat dry. Wash fingerling potatoes well and cook until just tender in a pressure cooker according to the directions of your pressure cooker (approximately 5 minutes at high pressure). Set potatoes aside and then after about 5 minutes, using just your hands, carefully peel skins off the potatoes.
4. Pour off fat from pot, then cook onions, carrots, and parsnips and 1/4 teaspoon salt in remaining 2 tablespoons butter, covered, over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are pale golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Add chicken, skin sides up, with any juices from plate, and wine and boil until liquid is reduced by half, 3 to 4 minutes. Cover pot and braise chicken in oven until cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. (Note: this may take longer, depending on the root vegetables you use.)
5. Stir crème fraîche into chicken mixture and season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice, then add potatoes.