Spring Chicken With Carrots and Peas — The Weekender
Like so many American households, we eat a lot of chicken in my little family of two. And, of course, like so many of our fellow poultry eaters, we often fall into a rut and end up making the same four or five recipes over and over again.
Recently, after working our way through another round of the same old roast chicken, I started doing a little searching in the hopes of injecting some fresh inspiration into our routine. I bookmarked recipes for stews, pan-roasted birds and new-to-me marinades.
Because I know her dishes to be pretty darn reliable in the taste department, I started out by trying Rachael Ray’s recipe for Spring Chicken With Carrots and Peas. You begin by browning the chicken in a little olive oil and then turning down the heat so the chicken cooks through.
Once it’s done, you pull the chicken out of the pot and add chopped shallots. Once they’ve cooked and picked up all those gorgeous bits of golden chicken from the bottom of the pan, you add some white wine, carrots and peas. Finally, the chicken is nestled back into the pot. You can serve it immediately, or you can let the chicken stew a bit longer and pick up some of the flavors from the pot.
Served with hunks of baguette or over a steamed grain, it’s a delicious way to eat chicken, and it perked up our weeknight chicken considerably.
— Use a wide, deep pot for this one — a Dutch oven is really ideal.
— Make sure to dry your chicken well before you place it in the pot. You’ll get the best browning that way.
— Add the peas just before the whole thing is done. If you cook them too long, they’ll lose their bright green color. While they’ll still taste good, it’s more satisfying to serve them while they’re vivid.
Marisa McClellan is a food writer and canning teacher who lives in Center City Philadelphia. Find more of her food (all cooked up in her 80-square-foot kitchen) at her blog, Food in Jars. Her first cookbook, Food in Jars: Preserving in Small Batches Year-Round , is now available.