Wine Braised Chicken Legs with Onions, Garlic, and Fennel

These past few nights in New York have been really freaking cold. The kind of cold that makes me miss those mild California nights where snow and sleet are just words and don't really hold any meaning. Alas, I cannot go back to California on a whim.

But I can make these wine braised chicken legs.

Our neighbor was kind enough to lend us his Dutch oven before Christmas, and I have been taking full advantage of it ever since. I love making stewy, goopy, warm things during the winter, and the Dutch oven is just the kind of pot I want on the stove to make them in. I dare say this Dutch oven (which I believe was barely used, if at all, before I borrowed it) lends magical flavor and a certain sense of regality to the things I cook in it. Or maybe I'm just not used to seeing a Le Creuset in our humble little kitchen.

Braising is a rather forgiving method of cooking, particularly when cooking something that has the potential to be quite bland, like chicken. I've infused the braising liquid - wine, in this case - with lots of fragrant and warming things, namely fennel and garlic, which practically dissolve in the cooking process, leaving their poignant flavors melted delicately into the chicken and the thick wine sauce. And though it would be appropriate in this case, I believe, to simply tilt your plate to your lips and drink up the sauce, I ate it with fluffy white rice, which soaked up those juices just fine.

On a cold winter's night, after a long day at work, this is exactly what the doctor ordered. So I made it. For myself. And I ate it. All.

Wine Braised Chicken Legs with Onions, Garlic, and Fennel

2 whole bone-in, skin-on chicken legs*
1 yellow onion, trimmed, peeled, and cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 bulb fennel, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 lemon, ends trimmed and thinly sliced (including peel)
4 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
1/4 cup flour
2 cups white wine
olive oil
salt and pepper
chopped parsley, to garnish

Place the flour in a shallow bowl or on a large plate. Season chicken legs with salt and pepper and dredge in flour on both sides. Meanwhile, in a heavy bottomed skillet or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. When hot, add the chicken legs and let brown, about 10 minutes on each side. Remove chicken and set aside. Add a bit more oil to the pan, along with onions and fennel. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until vegetables are soft and beginning to brown. Add wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any bits that have stuck to the bottom. Turn up the heat a bit and bring the mixture to a rapid boil. Return chicken legs to the pan and add garlic and lemons. Reduce heat, cover, and let simmer for about 45 minutes, until chicken is tender. Garnish with parsley and serve with fluffy white rice.

*You could easily add two more chicken legs without changing the recipe, but as I was cooking for one, I only used two.