Braised Chicken with Mustardy Leeks + Potatoes
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs (about 1 ½-2 lbs)
- 2 leeks, green tops removed, thinly sliced
- 1 ¾ tsp kosher salt, divided
- 3 red, yellow, or new potatoes, halved and thinly sliced into ¼-inch pieces (about 1 lb)
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped, smashed, or thinly sliced
- ⅔ cup water
- 2 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ cup green peas (fresh or thawed from frozen)
- 4 lemon wedges
- Chopped fresh herbs, for topping (dill or parsley)
For the fennel/celery:*
- 2 cups thinly sliced fennel and/or celery
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- *The meal is good without pickled veg if you top with plenty of lemon juice and some crunchy toasted nuts. The pickled fennel/celery adds a nice bright crunchy bite that I would highly recommend.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Remove green tops + thinly slice 2 leeks
- Halve + thinly slice 3 potatoes into ¼-inch pieces
- Thinly slice 2 cups fennel and/or celery + mix with vinegar, etc…
- Smash or slice 2 cloves garlic
- Thaw ½ cup green peas (if frozen)
- Chop herbs, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 450F or 425F convection.
- Trim off excess skin from the chicken and pat the skin dry (see video). Season the skins and flesh with about 1 teaspoon salt (about ¼ teaspoon per thigh).
- In a large (12”) oven-proof skillet (cast-iron is best) over medium heat, warm the olive oil and swirl it to coat the pan. Place chicken skin-side-down in the skillet. Let cook undisturbed until golden brown, about 7-10 minutes. Flip and cook for 1 more minute. Transfer the chicken to a plate (it will finish cooking in the oven).
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the water, mustard, and lemon. Set aside.
- In the same skillet over medium heat, add the leeks and ¼ teaspoon salt and cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes, scraping up any bits of chicken that might be stuck to the pan.
- Add the potatoes, garlic, and remaining ½ teaspoon of salt and cook for 1 minute, to soften the garlic and potatoes. Spread into an even layer and add the mustard liquid, then turn off the heat. Nestle the chicken thighs into the skillet, skin-side-up. Transfer to the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced and potatoes are cooked (we still want a little liquid in there!). Sprinkle the peas into the skillet, and return to the oven for 2 more minutes.
- While the chicken braises, in a medium bowl mix together the fennel and/or celery, vinegar, water, and salt. Set aside.
- Serve the chicken/potatoes with a side of fennel/celery and top with a generous squeeze of lemon and fresh herbs.
Notes
Substitutions:
- To make vegetarian, skip the chicken! Follow the recipe as is, but just skip browning/adding the chicken. You’ll end up with a delicious potato and leek dish that pairs wonderfully with baked fish or some marinated beans. I would just use more olive oil and I’d also recommend topping with some toasted nuts!
- You can use 1 yellow onion in place of the leeks
- Any crunchy vegetable will do for the fennel/celery. You could use all fennel or all celery or sub with cucumber, carrot, or cabbage.
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Warm up the chicken and the potato/leek mixture. Serve topped with plenty of lemon, fresh herbs and a side of pickled veg.
- The potato leek mixture is great as a side to any protein.