Rachel Roddy's recipe for braised chicken with pesto | Food (2024)

FAQs

How long does it take to braise chicken? ›

Braise for about 40 minutes, or until your meat thermometer says the thighs are done—look for a reading of 165°F. If you are a chicken skin lover, double the chicken stock and leave the lid off. This will help the skin stay crispy while cooking.

We've all heard the term “braise” before, but what the heck does it actually mean? It's actually a combination of cooking techniques whereby you lightly fry your meat before letting it cook, or “stew” in some kind of liquid (generally wine), in a covered dish until fully cooked.

Add nuts, garlic, zest of 1 lemon and salt to a food processor and pulse into a fairly smooth paste. Add cheese to nut paste and add about 3 tablespoons EVOO; process until smooth. Pulse process basil into sauce until fairly smooth, adding juice of 1 lemon and remaining EVOO.

Elevate with a little extra garlic

When you feel like your jarred pesto is missing robustness, don't hesitate to add some minced garlic into the mix. There's likely some garlic already in the jar, and minced or grated garlic is often the same size as the little Parmesan pieces (so it combines quite easily).

Keep the lid on when braising meat, as it needs moist heat over a long period of time to break down the collagen and connective tissues for fork-tender results. "Pot covered, the ingredient you are braising gets continuously bathed in these steaming and simmering liquids, which the item flavors in turn," says Welsh.

It's always best to brown the meat before braising as this makes the meat look more attractive and adds extra flavor, although some say that the meat tastes sweeter not being browned.

The Takeaways. Yes, you can undercook and overcook a braise.

The possibilities are just about endless, from seasoning lentils to flavoring soup. You could even make an argument for drinking it straight up—we don't judge. So please, don't throw the remains from your braise away, but instead learn all the many ways you can reap the benefits from upcycling the leftover liquid.

Stocks are best used in braises, sauces and stews. Broth is primarily made from meat that has been simmered for a shorter amount of time, typically two hours or less, and has been seasoned with salt.

Yes, pesto can be used straight from the jar and doesn't require cooking or heating. In fact, we actively discourage applying too much heat to pesto, as this will destroy many of the fresh flavours that producers work so hard to retain.

Why is my pesto bad? ›

If it's gone bad, then it will have a sour, almost chemical smell. This is because the olive oil and nuts have gone rancid. So, give it a good sniff, before you decide to use it to avoid any problems. If it doesn't smell good, then don't use it.

Both homemade and shop-bought pesto sauces have their advantages. If convenience is your top priority, then store-bought pesto is right for you, but if freshness is your main concern, then nothing can compete with making pesto yourself.

The most common reason for pesto tasting bitter is that the olive oil is past its best and has started to turn rancid. If the pesto has been made in a food processor or blender, there's also the possibility that it has turned bitter from the crude, sheering action of the blades.

Pesto Sauce

This fresh and fragrant pasta sauce is served uncooked, so choose a pasta shape that won't overwhelm it. Similar to oil-based sauces, pesto is served best with longer cuts of pasta, like the corkscrew shape of Fusilli. Pesto works best with Bucatini, Capellini, thinner Spaghettini, and Fettuccine.

It will take about 1 1/2 to 3 hours to become fork-tender. As soon as it's fork-tender, it's done. Cooking any longer will dry out the meat. With braising, just a little effort yields amazing results.

Braising requires a longer time at a lower temperature than slow roasting, as it works to break down connective tissue and meld the flavors of the added ingredients. Slow roasting uses slightly higher temperatures and shorter cooking times, as its primary focus is on retaining the meat's natural juices.

Braise (BRAYZ), taken from the 18^th-century French word meaning coal, is a cooking method by which food, usually meats or vegetables, is browned in fat, then cooked, tightly covered, in a small amount of liquid at low heat for several hours.