Northern Comfort – St. Paul Farmers Market

Posted on | February 18, 2010 |No Comments

The weather is frightful, but baby, cold as it is, the St. Paul Farmers Market is the hottest place in town. Come Saturday mornings, it’s an all out happening, even in sub-zero temps. Conversations heat up over how best to cook free range chicken (braised and low and slow) and when the duck eggs will come in. (Yes, duck eggs … they’re remarkable … big, luminous and very “eggy” tasting.) And, when your teeth start to chatter, head in to Golden’s Deli, where the cheese, chocolate, apple and assorted farmers and small food producers sell amazing stuff. I am hooked on Martha’s Joy Pickles (jars of Brussels sprouts, asparagus, beans … you name it, she pickles it) — her range of varieties and vegetables, sweet and hot and sour is astonishing … Find Shepherd’s Way cheeses and the best damn lamb sausages … raw cider … Love Tree farmstead cheeses …. who says you can’t eat local in the middle of February around here? Swing through and buy something from everyone the enjoy through the week and when you get home, cook up that chicken Here’s how:

Braised Chicken with Mushrooms and Onions
Serves 4 to 6
Braising is a terrific technique for this time of year. More forgiving than roasting and less prep than a stew, is easy, reliable and fills the kitchen with great smells. It requires a few simple steps that can be applied to most slow cooking cuts of meat. Here, dark meat chicken legs and thighs are browned with mushrooms and onions, then simmered on the stove. Just be sure to brown the meat and the vegetables well before adding the liquid (wine, stock, even water will do). The flavor resides in these dark nubs on the bottom of the pan. Like stews, braised food often tastes better the next day after the flavors have married. This dish is great over cooked rice, noodles or mashed potatoes.

3 pounds chicken leg and thigh pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, or more as needed
10 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1/2 cup red or white wine
1 cup low-sodium cup chicken stock, or more as needed
3 sprigs fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Rinse the chicken pieces and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a skillet large enough to hold all of the chicken pieces in a single layer, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the chicken, skin side down. Cook until the skin forms a golden crust, about 5 minutes. Turn the pieces and cook the other side until the skin forms a golden crust, another 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
Add the onion and mushrooms to the skillet along with a little more butter if needed and sauté over medium heat for a minute, then cover the pan to wilt the onions and release some of the mushroom juices, about 3 minutes. Remove the lid and continue cooking, stirring often, until the onions are golden and the mushrooms are dark brown, and the pan is dry, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the wine and scrape up the dark bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pan and add the stock, rosemary and parsley. Partially cover the pan and simmer, turning the chicken occasionally, until it feels tender when prodded with a fork and the meat easily comes off the bone, 45 to 50 minutes. Serve over rice, noodles or mashed potatoes with vegetables and juices, garnished with more chopped parsley as desired.

Comments