Winner-Winner Chicken Dinner
This chicken dinner is simple for a weeknight meal and special for a weekend gathering meal. With a few quality ingredients you will have a delicious and flavorful dinner. These chicken drum sticks braised in wine, rosemary, and plums will elevate your ordinary chicken meal. Another plus is chicken drumsticks are fairly inexpensive, and if you use a just-good-enough wine you won’t break the bank! This is a simplified version of the Italian “chicken cacciatore” with a few less steps to make this a weekly menu repeat! Once it try it, you will want to share it at your next dinner gathering to impress your guests.
Braised Chicken
Braising is a simple technique were you lightly fry your meat before letting it cook, or “stew” in liquid (generally wine or broth), in a covered dish until it is fully cooked. The first part to braising involves lightly frying the seasoned chicken pieces in batches-about 5 minutes a side. This allows the chicken to brown nicely and not fully cook. Set aside on a plate until needed. This process requires only one pot and the result is an incredibly delicious chicken that is both crispy, tender and succulent. After the drumsticks simmer in the rosemary-infused wine sauce they will achieve a rich and complex flavor unique to the braising process.
Red Wine and Plums
The liquid in this braising recipe uses a combination of red wine and chicken broth. The flavor of the wine and the juice from the sweet plums is a match made in culinary heaven that makes this dish unique. The sauce turns into a thick, rich, flavorful combination that is perfect for bread plunging. After braising the chicken for about 45 minutes, the liquid reduces and thickens. This method will create the perfect consistency and maximize the flavor of the chicken and sauce. Before serving I put the pot in the oven and broil for 5 minutes to achieve a perfect crisp on the chicken. Super Scrumptious.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy with crusty bread to soak up the delicious sauce that clings to the tender chicken. I serve this meal with a side salad and also made rice for my children. The rice is a great addition for a heartier meal and works perfect to absorb the sauce.
Made with Amore,
Elena
Comments
Share your thoughts, or ask a question!
For the ingredients say 8 thighs than you read instructions and it says drumsticks .......
I am fortunate to have a lovely Italian plum tree and having been making this recipe for some time now. We serve it with a crusty baguette and a Pinot Noir that is on the fruitier side.
We've found that many people are sensitive to too much sweetness in this dish. So I advise you add limited amounts of jam and taste for sweetness before adding more jam. If you cannot find plum jam, I advise you look for alternatives like elderberry or black current. (For me, grape tends to overwhelm the taste of the plums and I wouldn't recommend it.) If you are fond of rosemary, use more of it! (I use double the amount in this recipe.)
Also, I skip the last step in this recipe and do not broil the cooked chicken. By then, the skin tends to have come loose in places and exposes the chicken meat. If you see that has happened, broiling it will dry out the exposed meat.