Chicken may rightly be called the most boring meat in the world, but when it comes to comparatively quick one pot cooking nothing beats a few chicken legs. Cheap, sturdy enough to take the abuse of stewing, yet moist and succulent after just an hour.
Being a big fan of one pot cooking I have tried a bunch of recipes to that effect. My chicken and brown rice casserole came out very nice, so did roast chicken on a bed of root vegetables and cabbage.
Typically it is always the same things that go in with the chicken though. Potatoes, mushrooms, onion, carrots and so on. Tasty, but gets a bit repetitive. So here is a recipe that uses something completely different: rhubarb!
How good does that look? It was delicious.
Originally uploaded by Manne.
(More photos of making this dish at Flickr.)
I love rhubarb, but has only ever eaten it as compote with milk. My mum used to make that every year when I was a kid. It signified the coming of summer. But why not use it in savoury cooking? Not stranger than adding lots of lemon juice (Yassa, from Senegal, yum) or really tart apples (pork roast with apples...).
Rhubarb is super tart though, so will need some added sugar to not make your dinner guests faces pucker up as if biting into a lemon.
Ingredients, serves 4
400 gr rhubarb, cut in 3 cm pieces
50 gr sugar to sweeten the rhubarb
3 medium onions, halved and sliced
4 chicken legs
1 thumb sized piece ginger, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
3 sprigs lemon thyme
juice of half a lemon
1 cup white wine
1 tbsp paprika powder
2 tsp cayenne powder
2 tsp dried thyme
salt
crushed black pepper
butter for frying
Method
Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
Mix the paprika, cayenne, dried thyme and some salt and pepper in a bowl. Rub the chicken legs vigorously with the mix.
Place the rhubarb in a bowl and sprinkle them with the sugar, mix it up to get sugar on all pieces.
In a large pot (with a lid) suitable to place in the oven fry the chicken legs on medium heat until they have a nice golden skin. If you get lots of smoke stinging your eyes from the spice mix, don't worry. It will be good in the end. Set aside on a plate when done.
Succulent golden chicken
Originally uploaded by Manne.
In the same pot add some more butter and then the garlic and ginger. Fry for a minute while stirring, releasing the flavour. Add in the onion and fry while stirring until it starts going translucent. Then add the rhubarb and fry for another minute or two.
Garlic and ginger add lots of aroma and flavour
Originally uploaded by Manne.
As you stir the pot the rhubarb will actually go paler from the heat
Originally uploaded by Manne.
Pour in the wine and then put the chicken back in the pot with the sprigs of lemon thyme. Squeeze the lemon juice on top and give it a good stir. The wine doesn't have to completely cover the chicken. Put the lid on and pop it in the oven for an hour.
Ready to simmer away in the oven
Originally uploaded by Manne.
One hour later, the rhubarb has almost dissolved and the chicken is ready
Originally uploaded by Manne.
Serve with some nice greens, like this salad with radishes and pea shoots, and some cous cous or quinoa.
Rhubarb chicken bake, ready to go
Originally uploaded by Manne.
