Chicken Leg Confit With Potatoes And Escarole Recipes

CHICKEN CONFIT WITH ROASTED POTATOES AND PARSLEY SALAD

Steps:

• Make the chicken confit. Heat oven to 250. Season the chicken legs with salt and pepper, and place in a pan just large enough to fit them comfortably. Add oil, thyme and garlic, place on stovetop over medium heat and cook until the oil just begins to bubble.
• Transfer pan to oven, uncovered. Cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the meat is easily pierced with a thin-bladed knife. (Adjust oven temperature up or down to make sure oil is just bubbling.) Allow to cool, then remove chicken from oil and place on a plate. Place in refrigerator until ready to cook. Strain oil, and reserve, covered, in the refrigerator. Chicken can be cooked a few days ahead of use.
• Make the potatoes. Heat oven to 425. Place the potatoes in a roasting pan, and toss with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the reserved oil. Arrange the potatoes cut side down on the pan, and place in the oven, until golden and crisp, approximately 40 minutes to an hour. Remove from oven, and salt to taste.
• Finish the chicken confit. Put 3 tablespoons of the reserved oil into a pan set over medium heat. When it shimmers, add the chicken, and cook, turning once or twice, until both sides are nicely crisp and brown, approximately 15 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.
• Make the parsley salad. Combine parsley leaves, shallots and olives in a medium-size bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, 3 tablespoons of the reserved oil and the mustard. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then toss the parsley and the dressing together.
• To serve, place a chicken leg and half of the potatoes and parsley salad on each plate.

CHICKEN CONFIT

Steps:

• Lay the leg portions on a platter, skin side down. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the kosher salt and black pepper. Place the garlic cloves, bay leaves, and sprigs of thyme on each of 2 leg portions. Lay the remaining 2 leg portions, flesh to flesh, on top. Put the reserved fat from the chicken in the bottom of a glass or plastic container. Top with the sandwiched leg portions. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
• Remove the chicken from the refrigerator. Remove the garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and chicken fat and reserve. Rinse the chicken with cool water, rubbing off some of the salt and pepper. Pat dry with paper towels.
• Put the reserved garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and chicken fat in the bottom of an enameled cast iron pot. Sprinkle evenly with the peppercorns and salt. Lay the chicken on top, skin side down. Add the olive oil. Cover and bake for 12 to 14 hours, or until the meat pulls away from the bone.
• Remove the chicken from the fat. Strain the fat and reserve. Pick the meat from the bones and place it in a stoneware container. Cover the meat with some of the strained fat so that there is a 1/4-inch layer of fat on top. The chicken confit can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
• The excess oil can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and used like butter for cooking. The tinge of chicken taste in the oil is wonderful and I use the oil to roast potatoes, cook green beans, and pan-fry veal.

CONFIT CHICKEN LEGS WITH POTATO HASH & POACHED EGG

Steps:

• Mix the thyme leaves with the salt and lemon zest. Rub over the chicken legs, then chill for 1 hr. Heat oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1.
• Pat the chicken dry with kitchen paper. Place in a small roasting tin with the remaining confit ingredients. Bake in the oven for 2-2 1/2 hrs until tender, then remove from the oil and drain on a wire rack. Reserve and strain the oil - this is great for roasting veg or making more confit. Reserve the shallot and garlic.
• To make the hash, heat 1 tbsp of the infused oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan. Add the potatoes and cook for about 10 mins until they start to soften. Add the bacon and cook, stirring, until it's crisping. Add the leeks, chilli, confit shallot and garlic (squeezed out of its skin). Cook for another 5 mins until the leeks have softened and the potatoes are cooked through. Season, then add the spinach, kale and parsley. Stir until the leaves have wilted. Add a splash of vinegar.
• Poach the eggs in barely simmering water for 3 mins, then drain on kitchen paper. Serve the chicken with the hash, eggs and a sprinkling of parsley.

CHICKEN-LEG CONFIT WITH POTATOES AND ESCAROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 275°F. Season chicken legs with salt and pepper on both sides and nestle into a 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Arrange shallots, garlic, and 6 thyme sprigs around chicken and pour oil over. Bake until chicken is cooked through and tender and shallots and garlic have started to caramelize, 2-2 1/2 hours.
• Meanwhile, cook potatoes in a medium pot of boiling salted water until tender, 15-20 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Remove chicken from oven. Pour off infused oil, reserving 5 tablespoons (save remaining oil for another use). Heat 2 tablespoons infused oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Carefully transfer chicken to skillet, arranging skin side down. Cook, undisturbed, until skin is golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Return chicken to dish, placing skin side up.
• Heat 2 tablespoons infused oil in same skillet (no need to wipe it out) and add potatoes and remaining 2 thyme sprigs. Using the back of a wooden spoon or spatula, lightly crush potatoes to flatten slightly. Season with salt and pepper and cook, tossing occasionally, until potatoes are well browned and crisp on all sides (some pieces will fall off and get extra-brown; you want this!), 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl.
• Toss escarole in another medium bowl with lemon zest, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon infused oil; season with salt and pepper.
• Serve chicken in baking dish (with all those shallots and garlic) with escarole and potatoes alongside.
• Do Ahead
• Chicken can be cooked (but not crisped) 2 days ahead; reheat in low oven before crisping. Potatoes can be boiled 2 days ahead; cover and chill.

SKILLET CHICKEN WITH ESCAROLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add skin-side down to the skillet. Cook until the skin browns, about 10 minutes. Flip the chicken, transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, trim the escarole, tear into pieces and rinse well. Thinly slice the garlic.
• Remove the chicken to a plate. Discard all but 3 tablespoons fat from the skillet; return the skillet to medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until golden, about 1 minute. Add half of the escarole and cook, tossing, until wilted, about 1 minute. Add the remaining escarole and cook, tossing, until wilted, 1 minute; season with salt and pepper. Add the thyme and chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Cook until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the capers, butter and lemon juice. Cook, swirling the pan, until the butter is melted. Discard the thyme sprigs.
• Divide the chicken thighs and escarole mixture among plates. Sprinkle with parsley.