Braised Chicken Legs with Winter Vegetables

Photo by Michael Piazza / Style by Catrine Kelty

This is pure comfort food for me. The whole house smells so good when this dish is cooking, and the aroma will linger long after you’ve put your happy head (and stomach) to bed. Double the recipe for leftovers, as it’s wonderful the next day as well. The underappreciated rutabaga adds real depth to this dish.

Serves 4

4 chicken legs (leg and thigh joints)
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1⁄3 cup olive oil
1 pound rutabaga, peeled and diced
½ pound carrots, peeled and diced
½ pound parsnips, peeled and diced
2 medium onions, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 quart chicken stock
2 cups water
1 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

Season chicken legs thoroughly with salt and pepper. Heat half of the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.

Carefully place chicken legs in pan and brown on both sides, about 4–5 minutes per side. Set aside. Add more oil to the pan if needed and add the rutabaga, working in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan. Brown on as many sides as possible until caramelized, about 8–10 minutes. Set aside. Follow this same method with the carrots and parsnips and add them to the rutabaga. In the same pan, add the onions and lower to medium heat. Cook until well browned, about 8–10 minutes.

Add the garlic and brown, about 1 minute. Add stock, water and bring to a boil. Return the chicken and vegetables and lower heat to a simmer. Cook for 25 minutes. At this point, check a sample of each type of vegetable to see if it’s tender and cooked through. Simmer a little longer if needed. Add the kale and simmer for another 8–10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the thyme. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Divide vegetables into 4 dishes and place the chicken on top. Serve with warm, crusty bread or freshly made biscuits. To make ahead as a stew, remove chicken meat from the bones and shred into the vegetables; serve over cooked whole grains, buttered noodles or soft polenta.

This recipe appeared in the Winter 2023 issue as part of a larger story on Farm to Table Cooking.