Southern-Style Smothered Chicken

Ingredience

3 pounds bone-in chicken pieces (split breasts cut in half crosswise, drumsticks, and/or thighs), trimmed

1½ teaspoons table salt, divided

1 teaspoon pepper, divided

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

¼ cup vegetable oil

2 onions, chopped fine

2 celery ribs, chopped fine

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon dried sage leaves

2 cups chicken broth

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Pokyny

Pat chicken dry with paper towels and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Spread ½ cup flour in shallow dish. Working with 1 piece at a time, dredge chicken in flour, shaking off excess, and transfer to plate.

2. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add half of chicken to pot, skin side down, and cook until deep golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes per side; transfer to plate. Repeat with remaining chicken, adjusting heat if flour begins to burn.

3. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat and return pot to medium heat. Add onions, celery, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and remaining ½ teaspoon pepper, and cook until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in garlic, sage, and remaining 2 tablespoons flour and cook until vegetables are well coated with flour and garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk in broth, scraping up any browned bits.

4. Nestle chicken into sauce, add any accumulated juices from plate, and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until breasts register 160 degrees and drumsticks/thighs register 175 degrees, 30 to 40 minutes.

5. Transfer chicken to serving dish. Stir vinegar into sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce over chicken, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.

Poznámky

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS Our take on smothered chicken had two goals: big chicken flavor and weeknight ease. For perfectly tender, evenly cooked Southern-style smothered chicken, we started with chicken parts rather than a whole bird. We browned the pieces and then shallow-braised them in a savory gravy built from pantry ingredients: chicken broth, flour, sautéed onions, celery, garlic, and dried sage. We found that we needed just 2 tablespoons of flour to thicken the gravy to a rich—but not stodgy—consistency. A splash of cider vinegar brightened the sauce and helped the chicken’s flavor shine.

Serve with rice or potatoes. You can substitute ¼ teaspoon ground sage for the dried sage leaves, if desired.