Food & Wine USA - (12)December 2020

HANDBOOK

58 DECEMBER 2020

Brisket-Braised Chicken

ACTIVE 50 MIN; TOTAL 2 HR

SERVES 4 TO 6

Heaped with sliced onions and flavored

with red wine, paprika, and honey, this

chicken is fall-off-the-bone tender with a

deeply craveable sweet-savory sauce.

F&W COOKS

Holiday Remixes Leah Koenig’s

flavorful twists on Hanukkah favorites

HANUKKAH BRINGS WARMTH and brightness during the depths of winter. To com-

memorate the Hanukkah story, when a scrappy Judean army recaptured the Holy

Temple in Jerusalem and found a jar of oil that miraculously lit the menorah for eight

days and nights, Jewish families traditionally enjoy foods fried in oil—most famously

potato latkes. When it comes to the holidays, I find that tradition tastes best when it

gets the chance to play, which is why this year I’m cooking up twists on Hanukkah

favorites, like an oversize skillet latke that delivers all of the crunchy charm of the

classic fritters in one go. I’ll pair it with saucy, tender chicken, braised brisket-style

and brimming with flavor. Then I’ll bake up a batch of savory onion jam rugelach to

snack on throughout the festivities. LEAH KOENIG

1 / 4 cup vegetable oil, divided

31 / 2 lb. bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and

drumsticks, trimmed and patted dry

1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. kosher salt, divided

1 / 2 tsp. black pepper

2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

2 tsp. Hungarian sweet paprika

1 tsp. onion powder

1 / 2 cup (4 oz.) dry red wine

2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

1 (14^1 / 2 -oz.) can diced tomatoes

1 cup chicken broth

1 / 4 cup honey

2 fresh or dried bay leaves

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large Dutch
   oven over medium until shimmering.
   Sprinkle chicken with 1 tablespoon salt
   and pepper. Working in 3 batches, arrange
   chicken pieces, skin sides down, in Dutch
   oven; cook until browned on both sides, 4
   to 5 minutes per side. Set aside. Wipe pan
   clean; add remaining 2 tablespoons oil.


2. Add onions and garlic to Dutch oven;
   cook over medium, stirring occasionally,
   until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Stir
   in tomato paste, paprika, and onion pow-
   der; cook 30 seconds. Add wine and vine-
   gar; cook, stirring constantly and scraping
   up browned bits, until mixture thickens,
   about 1 minute.


3. Stir in tomatoes, broth, honey, bay
   leaves, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt.
   Nestle chicken into mixture; bring to a boil
   over medium-high. Cover and reduce heat
   to low; simmer until chicken easily pulls
   away from the bone, about 50 minutes,
   pushing chicken down into mixture to par-
   tially submerge after 20 minutes.


4. Uncover Dutch oven; increase heat to
   medium-low. Simmer, gently stirring occa-
   sionally, until liquid has slightly thickened,
   about 15 minutes. Discard bay leaves.
   Transfer chicken to plates; spoon sauce
   over chicken.
   MAKE AHEAD Chicken can be braised up to
   2 days ahead and stored in an airtight
   container in refrigerator.
   WINE Full-bodied, peppery Grüner
   Veltliner: 2018 Rudi Pichler Terrassen
   Smaragd

photography by VICTOR PROTASIO

FOOD STYLING: MARGARET MONROE DICKEY; PROP STYLING: AUDREY DAVIS