Chicken in Red Wine with Root Vegetables

Taken from a very inspiring book, Recipes from the Root Cellar by Andrea Chesman.  As chicken recipes go, this one is easy to pull together and it's versatile with the vegetables you can use.

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

to serve 4 to 6 folks

• 1 whole chicken or 3 1/2 pounds of chicken parts
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• salt and pepper
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 3 cups peeled and cubed mixed root vegetables (carrots, celery root, parsnips, potato, turnips)
• 1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes with juice or 1 (15-ounce) can
• 1 cup dry red wine or red wine vinegar
• 1 whole garlic head, cloves separated and peeled
• 2 bay leaves

Cut the chicken into small serving pieces (cut the breast into quarters and thighs into halves).  Remove any fat, rinse, and pat dry.  Combine the flour and dried thyme in a shallow dish.  Season with salt and pepper.  Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour until well coated.

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Lift the chicken pieces out of the flour, shaking off the excess, and add a single layer of chicken to the pan.  Cook in batches; do not crowd the pan.  Let the chicken brown, turning as needed, 5 to 10 minutes per batch.  Adjust the temperature as needed to allow the chicken to brown but not scorch.  (For the best presentation, make sure the chicken is well browned.)  Transfer the browned chicken to a plate and keep warm.

In the oil remaining in the pan, saute the onion and root vegetables over medium heat until the vegetables are a little softened, 3 to 5 minutes.

Return the chicken to the pan.  Add the tomatoes, wine, garlic, bay leaves.  Cover and simmer, turning the chicken every 15 minutes or so, until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender, 45 to 60 minutes.

Remove the chicken and vegetables from the sauce with a slotted spoon; keep warm.  Let the fat rise to the surface of the pan juices and remove by skimming.  Remove the bay leaves.  Return the chicken and vegetables to the pan.  Taste and adjust the seasonings.  Serve hot.

COOK'S NOTES:

I use four skinless chicken breasts so I didn't have to worry about skimming any fat out of the sauce. Also, I didn't have a full cup of red wine, so I used red wine vinegar to get a 1 cup measurement.

I cut up more than 3 cups of vegetables.  I used onions, carrots, red potatoes and mushrooms. That meant I needed more liquid in the pot.  So, I added about 2 cups of chicken broth to cover the vegetables, but not too much as to cover the chicken sitting on top. The chicken was half submerged in the broth.

Make sure to turn the chicken and move the vegetables around a little every 15 minutes. I set the timer on my iPhone, so I wouldn't forget. Keep the heat on medium low for a medium simmering action. All the liquid cooks down into a bread soppin' sauce that makes you want to go back for seconds.