在一个寒冷的冬天晚上，我从下班回家，梦想着发现厨房里装满了晚餐在烤箱中慢慢烹饪的香气。不幸的是，考虑到我是大部分烹饪的人，这并不经常发生。但是，有一种方法可以使我的厨房充满那些美妙的烹饪气味，并满足我的味蕾 - 一个小时左右的回家：我做炖鸡肉。它相对较快（与炖其他肉的肉类相比）却很丰富而令人满意。

骨头，皮肤大腿和鸡腿最适合炖。当鸡腿缓慢地煮熟时，肉变得非常嫩，从骨头上掉下来。同时，它发展出丰富而深厚的风味。同样，随着皮肤下的脂肪薄层融化，骨骼中的薄脂肪层和骨骼中的胶原蛋白在烹饪过程中变成明胶时，骨骼和皮肤会给最终的酱油而浓郁。而且有一个好处：大多数人大声疾呼无骨乳房，被忽视的腿通常是便宜的。我喜欢使用大腿和鼓棒的组合，但是如果您愿意的话，没有理由将这些炖肉与另一个或另一个胸针制成。

完美鸡壮的关键步骤

When you’re braising chicken (or any other meat, for that matter), you can be as creative as you want with the flavorings, but the technique stays pretty much the same. Here are the steps to follow to get the best results.

Brown the pieces quickly over fairly high heat
This achieves two things: It gives the chicken skin a flavor boost and a nice brown color, and it leaves tasty browned bits on the bottom of the pan, which will dissolve into the sauce. After browning the meat, I remove the chicken pieces from the pan, add aromatics and vegetables (or even fruit), and brown them as well. This adds yet another flavor element to my chicken braises.

Deglaze the pan with a flavorful liquid
When you add liquid and scrape the bottom of the pan, all the caramelized goodness left behind from browning the chicken becomes part of your sauce. The more flavorful your liquid, the better your braise. I like to use a variety of cooking liquids to give my braises a new guise each time. I prefer homemade chicken broth because I know exactly what went into it—and it tastes better. White or red wine (in combination with chicken broth) adds tanginess and some welcome acidity. Hard cider complements the flavor of apples in a braise that’s both sweet and slightly tart. And I use carrot juice for a Moroccan-style braise with cumin, cinnamon, and dates.

Simmer the chicken in the oven
I like to braise in the oven because it provides an all-around even heat with no risk of the chicken sticking to the pot or cooking unevenly, which can happen on the stovetop. Slow simmering delivers a meltingly tender chicken dish, with rich flavors that intensify as it cooks.