What’s Braised on the Bone

For many of us, grilling and roasting are the first methods that come to mind when we want to cook chicken. But during winter, one of the most satisfying ways to cook chicken is by braising, a favorite method in kitchens from France to the Far East.

There are two basic ways to braise chicken. In the method most familiar to us, you brown the chicken pieces before adding the liquid. The second technique, typified by the Moroccan tajine , is even simpler: You just heat the chicken briefly with spices and oil before adding the liquid.

You can achieve an amazing variety of flavors by using different braising liquids, including white or red wine, chicken broth, chopped tomatoes or coconut milk, and by adding spices, herbs, onions or garlic.

Whole chickens and any chicken pieces on the bone can be braised. Use a cut-up chicken, or choose all breasts, drumsticks or thighs if that’s what your family prefers.

You can add such quick-cooking vegetables as mushrooms, baby onions and zucchini to the casserole when the chicken is nearly cooked. Firmer vegetables--carrots and potatoes, for instance--can cook alongside chicken that is braising in stock or water. If the braising liquid is mainly wine or tomatoes, however, these vegetables will not cook evenly and are best cooked separately.

Often the braising liquid is reduced or thickened with flour. This produces an intense sauce to pour over potatoes, rice or pasta. You can also use the cooking juices straight out of the pan.

If you’re worried about fat, here are some ways to make braised chicken a little leaner: Choose breast pieces. Discard the oil after browning the chicken. Skim the fat from the sauce with a spoon, or refrigerate the dish and remove the solidified fat from the top, as with chicken soup. Remove the skin of the chicken before serving.

A French chef taught me to make this dish, and I have always associated it with southern French cooking. In France it is called chicken Nicoise, for the town of Nice on the French Riviera, and is served with pasta. But the dish is also enjoyed in Morocco -- and might have originated there. The Moroccan version is flavored with cilantro instead of tarragon and with chicken broth or water instead of wine.

MEDITERRANEAN CHICKEN WITH OLIVES 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 1/2 to 3 pounds chicken pieces, patted dry Salt Freshly ground pepper 1/2 pound mushrooms, quartered, optional 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 pounds tender-ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped, or 2 (28-ounce) cans whole plum tomatoes, drained and chopped 1/2 cup dry white wine 2/3 cup pitted black olives 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf thyme, crumbled Few drops fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon or 1 teaspoon dried leaf, crumbled 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, preferably Italian

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken to taste with salt and pepper on both sides. Brown chicken on both sides in batches. Transfer browned pieces to plate.

Discard all but 1 tablespoon olive oil from skillet. Add mushrooms and season to taste with salt and pepper. Saute over medium-high heat until lightly browned. Remove from skillet and set aside.

Add garlic to skillet and saute few seconds. Stir in tomatoes and wine. Return chicken and any juices that have collected on plate to skillet and bring to boil. Cover and simmer over low heat until breast pieces are tender when pierced with sharp knife, about 35 minutes. Transfer breasts to plate. Cook remaining legs and thighs until tender, about 10 minutes longer.

If thicker sauce is desired, transfer remaining chicken to plate and boil sauce about 5 minutes, stirring. Return chicken and mushrooms to skillet and add olives, thyme and lemon juice. Cover and warm over low heat 3 minutes. Add tarragon and parsley. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve hot. Makes 4 servings.

Chicken and prunes are partners in French, Polish, Russian and North African cuisines. In this version, the chicken is flavored with honey, saffron, cinnamon and plenty of onions. The flavor is slightly sweet, exotic and wonderful. Serve the chicken with couscous, rice or orzo.

MOROCCAN CHICKEN TAJINE WITH PRUNES AND ALMONDS 2 tablespoons oil or butter 3 pounds chicken pieces, patted dry 2 large onions, minced Salt Freshly ground pepper About 1/8 teaspoon saffron threads 1 cup chicken stock, broth or water 1 (2-inch) cinnamon stick 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1 cup moist pitted prunes 2 tablespoons honey

1/3 cup whole blanched almonds, toasted

Combine oil, chicken, onions, and salt and pepper to taste in heavy casserole. Cover and cook over low heat, turning chicken occasionally, 5 minutes. Add saffron, stock, cinnamon stick and ginger. Push cinnamon stick into liquid. Bring to boil. Reduce heat.

Cover and simmer over low heat, turning pieces occasionally, until breast pieces are tender when pierced with knife, about 35 minutes. Transfer to plate. Cover and cook remaining legs and thighs until tender, about 10 minutes longer. Transfer to plate.

Add prunes to casserole and cook, uncovered, over medium heat until just tender, 15 minutes. Add honey and cook, occasionally stirring gently, 5 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste. Discard cinnamon stick. Transfer prunes to heated bowl and cover, leaving most of onions in casserole.

Return chicken to casserole and turn to coat pieces with sauce. Cover and heat over low heat 5 minutes. Serve chicken with sauce and prunes spooned over. Garnish with toasted almonds. Makes 4 servings.

Note: To make dish ahead, refrigerate chicken in sauce and prunes in separate containers. Reheat chicken pieces in sauce, then remove and reheat prunes in same sauce.

The flavorful cumin- and cilantro-scented chicken juices add a great taste to the potatoes. Serve the chicken with zucchini cooked in tomato sauce and with a salad of mixed greens. Wash your hands immediately after rubbing the chicken with the spices so your fingers won’t be dyed orange.

MIDDLE-EASTERN CHICKEN WITH CUMIN, POTATOES AND CELERY 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon turmeric 3 pounds chicken pieces Salt Freshly ground pepper 2 tablespoons oil 1 1/4 pounds boiling potatoes, peeled, cut into 3/8-inch slices 6 large celery stalks, cut into 3-inch lengths 1 1/4 cups chicken broth or water 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro or parsley

Mix cumin and turmeric in small bowl. Season chicken to taste with salt and pepper. Rub in spice mixture. Heat oil in large, deep casserole over medium heat and lightly brown chicken pieces in batches. Remove chicken to plate.

Add potato slices to casserole and saute slightly, stirring, 2 minutes. Stir in celery. Return chicken to pan along with any juices from plate, making sure leg pieces are at bottom of pan. Add chicken broth and bring to simmer. Cover and cook over low heat, turning pieces over once or twice and pushing potatoes into liquid, about 35 minutes for breast pieces (45 minutes for legs and thighs), or until tender. Remove chicken. Check potatoes. If necessary, simmer vegetables 5 to 10 minutes longer, until tender, then return chicken to pan.

Stir half of cilantro gently into sauce. Adjust seasonings to taste. Sprinkle chicken with remaining cilantro when serving. Makes 4 servings.