Sundays are my favorite day of the week. I have time to catch up on life and cook a hearty, home cooked meal. Today I decided to tackle the Gazette KCRG Cook Club recipe of the month which featured the braising cooking method. Braising is a combo cooking method using both moist and dry heat. The food (in this case, chicken) is first seared at a high temperature and then finished in a covered pot with some liquid, resulting in a yummy sauce.
The recipe was absolutely delicious. The chicken got so moist while cooking in the broth of coconut milk and clementine juice. The fresh ginger and garlic (8 cloves to be exact!) added great flavor as well. Served over brown rice, this is one of those recipes you can feel good about.
This meal cost me $18.74 and took 2 hours to make. (Like I said, a great Sunday meal!)
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees and place an oven rack to the lower-middle position.
2. Pat chicken dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat one tablespoon olive oil over high heat in a Dutch oven. Add chicken breasts (you may need to work in batches depending on the size) and brown on both sides, about 5 minutes each. Remove to a plate and allow to cool slightly before removing and discarding the skin.
3. Add one tablespoon oil to Dutch oven and reduce the heat to medium. Saute onions until softened, about five minutes.
4. Add ginger, garlic, coriander and cayenne and saute until fragrant, about two minutes.
5. Stir in flour and cook for one minute, stirring constantly.
6. Pour in soy sauce and rice vinegar, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan.
7. Stir in coconut milk.
8. Squeeze clementine halves to release juice into the pot and place halves in the liquid.
9. Lastly add the carrots and chicken, making sure the chicken is only one third to one half submerged. Turn heat up to high and allow it to come to a slow boil. Turn off burner, place lid on Dutch oven and place in oven. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
10. Remove pot from oven and place on burner. Remove chicken breasts before turning burner to high. Boil liquid for about 5 minutes or until it has reduced by one-fourth. Stir in baby spinach. Once spinach wilts, remove from heat and stir in cilantro.
11. Shred chicken and add it back into the pot.
12. Place brown rice onto plates and top with chicken mixture. Garnish with fresh clementines, if desired.
Clementine & Coconut Braised Chicken
Serves 4
All you need:
2 pounds bone-in chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
8 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/3 cup light soy sauce
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1 (13.5 oz.) can coconut milk (I used fall fat, but light will work too)
3 clementines, unpeeled, cut in half
1 pound carrots, peeled and diced
2 cups baby spinach
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
All you do:
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees and place an oven rack to the lower-middle position.
2. Pat chicken dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat one tablespoon olive oil over high heat in a Dutch oven. Add chicken breasts (you may need to work in batches depending on the size) and brown on both sides, about 5 minutes each. Remove to a plate and allow to cool slightly before removing and discarding the skin.
3. Add one tablespoon oil to Dutch oven and reduce the heat to medium. Saute onions until softened, about five minutes.
4. Add ginger, garlic, coriander and cayenne and saute until fragrant, about two minutes.
5. Stir in flour and cook for one minute, stirring constantly.
6. Pour in soy sauce and rice vinegar, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan.
7. Stir in coconut milk.
8. Squeeze clementine halves to release juice into the pot and place halves in the liquid.
9. Lastly add the carrots and chicken, making sure the chicken is only one third to one half submerged. Turn heat up to high and allow it to come to a slow boil. Turn off burner, place lid on Dutch oven and place in oven. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
10. Remove pot from oven and place on burner. Remove chicken breasts before turning burner to high. Boil liquid for about 5 minutes or until it has reduced by one-fourth. Stir in baby spinach. Once spinach wilts, remove from heat and stir in cilantro.
11. Shred chicken and add it back into the pot.
12. Place brown rice onto plates and top with chicken mixture. Garnish with fresh clementines, if desired.
Nutrition facts by foodlabelpro.com