Citrus Chicken with Carrots and Baby Potatoes

Method9 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Wash the tomatoes, carrots (¾ lb) and potatoes. Chop the onion, press or finely chop the garlic, and peel and diagonally cut the carrots into approximately 1-inch pieces. Hold the onion, garlic, carrots and potatoes ready, and have the measured citrus juices already squeezed. Broil the tomatoes for about 9–10 minutes, turning during cooking, until charred, mushy and juicy. Once cool enough to handle, chop them with their skins, seeds and all collected juices, and keep them separate from the other vegetables.

   Uses 1 lb Roma tomatoes · 2 cups chopped white onion · 4 garlic cloves, pressed or finely chopped · ¾ lb carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into approximately 1-inch pieces · 1 lb baby red potatoes · Water for washing tomatoes, carrots and potatoes, as needed

2. 2

   Step 2: Pat the raw chicken pieces (4 lb) dry and season them with the measured salt and pepper. Heat all ¼ cup oil over medium heat in a large heavy casserole or high-sided skillet. Add as many chicken pieces as fit without crowding and brown their first side for about 4 minutes. Hold any remaining seasoned raw pieces separately until their batch.

   Brown the first chicken face · 4 minUses ¼ cup vegetable oil · 4 lb raw chicken pieces, such as thighs, breasts or drumsticks, patted dry · 1 tsp kosher or coarse sea salt, or to taste · ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

3. 3

   Step 3: Turn the current chicken batch and brown the second side for about 4 minutes, until browned on both sides.

   Brown the second chicken face · 4 minUses The current chicken batch and its hot oil, separate from held raw pieces

4. 4

   Step 4: Lift the browned chicken into a bowl, leaving its oil and juices in the casserole. If pieces remain, brown them in the same oil for about 4 minutes per side and lift them into the same bowl. Keep all the browned chicken separate from the retained pan oil and juices.

   Uses The first browned batch and its pan oil · Any seasoned raw chicken still held for later batches

5. 5

   Step 5: Add the prepared onion and garlic to the casserole’s retained oil and juices. Cook for about 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally and checking from 4 minutes, until completely soft and beginning to brown at the edges.

   Check the softened onion and garlic · 4 minUses The retained oil and juices, separate from the held chicken · All the prepared onion and garlic, separate from the other vegetables

6. 6

   Step 6: Stir the oregano, thyme, marjoram, cinnamon and chipotle powder into the softened aromatics. Add all the prepared charred tomatoes with their skins, seeds and juices, all the orange juice and all the lime juice. Mix into a chunky sauce.

   Uses All the softened pan aromatics and oil · All the prepared tomatoes and their collected juices, separate from held vegetables · 1 tsp dried oregano · ½ tsp dried thyme · ½ tsp dried marjoram · ¼ tsp ground true or Ceylon cinnamon · ½ tsp chipotle chile powder, or to taste · 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

7. 7

   Step 7: Return all the held browned chicken and its collected juices to the chunky sauce. Add all the prepared carrots and baby potatoes, and spoon sauce over everything. Bring to a gentle simmer, reduce to medium-low, cover and cook for 30 minutes.

   First half of the covered chicken braise · 30 minUses All the prepared chunky sauce · All the held browned chicken and its collected juices, separate from retained pan oil · All the prepared carrots and potatoes, separate from the earlier tomato and aromatic outputs

8. 8

   Step 8: Turn the chicken pieces and move the carrots and potatoes around so they cook evenly in the sauce. Cover again and simmer gently for another 30 minutes, making one hour of covered cooking in total. Check that every chicken piece reaches 74°C / 165°F in its thickest part without touching bone, and that the vegetables are tender. Continue gently if either endpoint has not been reached.

   Finish the covered chicken braise · 30 minUses All the partly braised chicken, vegetables and sauce

9. 9

   Step 9: Serve the chicken with the tender carrots, baby potatoes and chunky citrus-tomato sauce, sharing between four to six portions.

   Uses All the fully cooked chicken, vegetables and sauce