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Chicken with Riesling

The wine plays such a major role here that it’s worth buying the right one. Finding a good off-dry white is not difficult: Almost any German wine made with Riesling (the grape name will be on the label) will do, except for those labeled trocken, which means dry. Although the cooking time for Chicken with Riesling is not short, it is largely unattended, and the dish can be made well in advance. In fact, as with many meat-and-liquid preparations, this may be more delicious on the second day. And this is a preparation that you can take in many directions, as you’ll see in the variations.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter or neutral oil, like corn or grapeseed
4 medium to large onions (about 1 1/2 pounds), sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 to 2 cups off-dry Riesling
One 3- to 4-pound chicken, cut into 8 or 10 serving pieces

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Put the butter in a skillet large enough to hold the chicken and turn the heat to medium. Add the onions, a large pinch of salt, and some pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften completely and begin to melt into a soft mass, about 20 minutes.

    Step 2

    Add 1 1/2 cups of the wine and let it bubble away for a minute, then tuck the chicken pieces among the onions; sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Turn the heat to low and cover the pan.

    Step 3

    Cook, turning the chicken pieces once or twice, for 40 to 60 minutes, or until the chicken is very tender (the meat on the drumsticks will begin to loosen from the bone). If the dish appears to be drying out at any point, add the remaining wine.

    Step 4

    Serve the chicken, spooning the onions and their liquid over it.

  2. Variations

    Step 5

    Cook the onions for 10 minutes or so longer before adding the wine, until they darken in color and become even softer.

    Step 6

    While the onions are cooking, brown the chicken by putting it, skin side up, in a 500°F oven for about 20 minutes. When you add the chicken to the onions, include some of its juice.

    Step 7

    Tuck a couple of bay leaves and/or a few sprigs of fresh thyme in among the onions after they’ve begun to soften.

    Step 8

    Sauté about 1/4 pound of bacon or salt pork cut into 1/2-inch chunks in the pan before adding the onions.

    Step 9

    Cook about 1/2 pound of sliced mushrooms (or an ounce or two of dried porcini mushrooms, reconstituted) along with the onions.

    Step 10

    Cook 1 tablespoon or more of chopped garlic with the onions.

    Step 11

    After cooking, puree the onions and their liquid in a blender for a cream like sauce; use it to top the chicken.

From Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes From the New York Times by Mark Bittman Copyright (c) 2007 by Mark Bittman Published by Broadway Books. Mark Bittman is the author of the blockbuster Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.
TagsWhite WineWineAlcoholBeveragesChickenPoultryOnionRoot VegetableVegetableMainDinnerGluten FreeNut Free5 Ingredients or FewerMake AheadBraiseCookbooks
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