Friday 27 September 2013

Chicken with Tomatoes and Garlic (Ree Drummond)


Chicken+Tomatoes+Garlic = ??? Looking at Ree's photos, that equation has to equal Scrumptious! Golden brown chicken legs in a sea of red tomatoes with a peppering of whole garlic cloves. Doesn't that sound enticing? It does up to a point. If you are like me, who likes to overdose on certain ingredients, you better hold your horses before you throw your herbs in. Ree did say to add plenty of fresh herbs but that doesn't mean that you thrown a ton in.


I bought a packet of basil for this dish and not wanting to waste, added the whole lot in. Basil is supposed to go well with tomatoes but if you put too much, well.....it sort of spoils it, at least for me. I think rosemary would have worked better and I wouldn't mind repeating this dish as I think it has lots of promise. Nevertheless, even with the overtly strong basil aroma, I still relished every drop of the gravy.


I would add a lot more garlic next time and perhaps a scant sprinkling of fresh basil after the dish is cooked would be a better bet. Ree served this with pasta and I preferred to eat it as is because I have been on carbo overload since trying her recipes. Carbo overload = Happy :)



 






Chicken with Tomatoes and Garlic
Recipe source :Ree Drummond
(My notes and adaptations in red)

Ingredients : 
 
- 8 pieces Chicken Legs Or Thighs (1 used 4 chicken legs and 4 chicken thighs)
- Salt And Pepper, to taste
- 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Butter
- 1 can (28 Ounce) Diced Tomatoes
- 1 can (14 Ounces) Whole Tomatoes
- 2 Tablespoons (Heaping) Tomato Paste
- Fresh Herbs: Basil, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary
- 8 cloves Garlic
- 16 ounces, weight Pasta (Ree Used Cavitappi) (I omitted)
- Grated Parmesan Cheese, For Serving (I omitted)
- 1/2 cup White Wine (or Red Wine)(I omitted) 
Method :
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (200C)(I cooked on stove top) . Salt and pepper chicken legs.
2. Heat ovenproof skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and butter. When oil/butter is hot, add chicken legs to the pan. Using tongs, brown on all sides, about 2 minutes. Remove chicken from pan.
3. Pour in wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any bits. Cook for 1 minute. Pour in tomatoes with their juice and add tomato paste. Add salt and pepper to taste, stirring to combine. Bring sauce to a boil, then turn off heat. Add plenty of fresh herbs, 8 cloves of peeled (but whole) garlic, and the chicken legs. Put lid on pot and cook in the oven for 1 hour.
4. Remove pot from oven and allow it to sit on the counter with the lid on while you boil the pasta.
5. Cook the pasta to al dente, Drain and add to a large serving bowl.
6. Remove lid and check sauce. If it's overly thin, remove the chicken from the pot and boil the sauce on the stovetop for 5 to 10 minutes. Check seasonings and adjust as needed.
7. To serve, pour sauce over cooked pasta, then arrange chicken pieces over the top. Sprinkle generously with fresh Parmesan and serve with crusty French bread.
(Dish may be served with rice or mashed potatoes, instead!)






I'm linking this post to Cook Like a Star, an event co-hosted by Zoe of Bake for Happy KidsBaby Sumo of Eat Your Heart Out and Mich of Piece of Cake. The featured chef for the month is Ree Drummond.

31 comments:

  1. Havent tasted this yet I already knew this is absolutely delicious!! Im sure your family members enjoyed this dish happily.

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    1. Mel, it is good! Just don't put too much herbs.

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  2. Looks like there are quite a number of RD dishes being served today, me including. If we were to get together, we can have a RD Party! I would love to taste your chicken dish, looks delicious :)

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    1. That's a great idea! The we can taste more of Ree's dishes :)

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  3. Hi Phong Hong, interesting recipe but it sure look extremely flavorful. Wah, I think I want extra rice to polish off the gravy. :))

    Have a nice weekend.

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    1. Amelia, this is great with rice or pasta. Enjoy your weekend!

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  4. Phong Hong, I really want to tapik you le, you are as hard working as a bee/ant with non stop posting! Keep drowning yr readers with such mouth watering dishes! Ahh...... Gao Meng Ahhhh!!!

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    1. Christine, thank you ah! I enjoy cooking :)

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  5. Hi Phong Hong,
    Looks like chicken is a favourite for both of us! Haha, too much of basil can be overpowering, my hubby does not like too much of it either. I'm OK, I love basil!

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    1. Hi Joyce! Oh yes, you and I are the biggest chicken fans hah! hah! I am OK with basil too but too much made me a bit dizzy :)

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  6. Phong Hong this sound a nice recipe but how if i omitted the basil???

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    1. xing hui, you can omit basil. It will still taste good!

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    2. ok, thanks, Phong Hong, ha... some will not like the basil leaves.

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  7. Ya, it does look good. A variation of the Chinese sweet and sour...with the western twist.

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    1. It is a good dish but as far as the herbs are concerned, less is definitely more!

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  8. Another flavorful and delicious chicken dish from the Pioneer Woman. I can have the sauce with lots of rice.

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    1. Mich, thumbs up for this recipe but don't put too much herbs :)

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  9. wow! Yum yum yum! I love all the combination of flavours and the colours too look stunning!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Shu Han! I love the fierce red colour too.

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  10. Hi Phong Hong,

    You are so funny with all your mathematical theories and equations...

    In 2 weeks time, mine will be carbo + marathon = survival !!! You have just given me a great idea to cook a pre-marathorn dish :D

    Zoe

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    1. Zoe, all the best in the marathon! Wow, I wish I could run too but looks like I have to permanently retire from any high impact activities :(

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  11. even without the herbs, i think also taste good..love tomatoes leh :)

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    1. Lena, no need to add the herbs. Maybe just a small sprinkling of chopped parsley will do.

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  12. Phong Hong, I'm totally drooling over this amazing chicken dish, and the sauce is gorgeous. For some reason I can always smell the beautiful aromas from your dishes you make by the 'lifelike' photos of every post you feature!

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    1. Thank you, Elisabeth! You are as always very generous with your compliments :) I am glad I cooked this dish as it not only looks good, it was easy on the palate too except for the very strong hint of basil!

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  13. Hi Phong Hong,
    This dish looks so appetizing. Lots of tomato in it. Loving this. It's a bit like the western Ayam Masak Merah .. only the herbs is different ... :p
    mui

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    1. Hi mui mui! Yah, mat salleh ayam masak merah :D

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