Book Sixty-Two: Today's Gourmet

by Jacques Pepin


              Chicken Legs with Wine & Yams

Comfort food at its simplest.

This makes a great weeknight meal for it is so fast and easy to prepare. All the ingredients other than the onion are left whole or halved and everything is cooked in one pot.

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Chicken Legs with Wine & Yams

Serves 4

4 chicken legs (about 3 lbs.)

2 Tbl virgin olive oil

¼ cup chopped onion

4 large shallots (about 6 oz), peeled

8 medium mushrooms (about 5 oz)

4 yams (about 1 lb.), peeled and halved lengthwise

1 cup dry white wine

8 large garlic cloves, peeled

½ tsp salt

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 Tbl chopped parsley, for garnish

1.       Remove the skin from the chicken legs, using a kitchen towel to help pull it off. In some markets, chicken legs are packaged with a piece of back carcass attached to the joint of the pelvis. If this is the case, remove any attached carcass bones from the chicken legs and then separate the legs into thighs and drumsticks.

2.       Heat the oil in one large or two smaller skillets and brown the chicken pieces (partially covered to prevent splattering) on all sides for about 10 minutes.

3.       Add the onion and cook for 1 minute, then add the shallots, mushrooms, yams, wine, garlic, salt and pepper.

4.       Bring to a boil, cover, and boil very gently for 20 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Today’s Gourmet/Jacques Pepin