Braised Chicken Legs with Parsnips, Ramps and Curry Broth
Chef/owner Richard Allaire, Metacom Kitchen, WarrenThis spring-inspired dish is one we revisit every year—a delicious pairing of spring ramps, parsnips and warming curry spices. The recipe works very well with rabbit, which is what we typically lean to, but here we use chicken, which is easier for home cooks to find.Serves 6
Ingredients
- 6 skin-on bone-in chicken legs
- Kosher salt such as Diamond Crystal
- 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 4 garlic cloves thinly sliced
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 6 parsnips peeled and sliced ½-inch slices
- 12 ramps green tops separated from the trimmed white “bulbs”* (see note)
- 1 carrot peeled and sliced ½-inch slices
- ½ pint grape tomatoes halved
- 1 cup white wine
- 2 cups low-sodium or homemade chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons curry powder
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- ½ cup (4 ounces) heavy cream
- Juice from 1 lime
- 2–3 cups cooked rice for serving (optional)
Notes
Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat for 3–4 minutes and season chicken with salt on both sides. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and then add chicken skin side down, being careful not to crowd (brown in batches if needed). Sear until skin turns golden brown, then flip and sear 2 more minutes. Remove chicken and set aside.
In the same pot, add garlic slices and sauté 2 minutes, or until lightly golden, then add parsnips, ramp bulbs, onions and carrots; sauté about 10–12 minutes.
Add curry and stir, cook 2 minutes, then add tomatoes and wine. Reduce wine by half, then return chicken to pot. Add stock and thyme. Bring to a gentle simmer then cover and place pot on a middle rack in the oven. Let braise about 1 hour, or until chicken is tender and pulling away from the bone.
Remove from the oven and return to low on the stovetop. Add heavy cream, lime juice, ramp greens and adjust seasoning according to taste. To serve, divide rice among 6 warm, shallow bowls, top each with chicken and vegetables and drizzle with sauce. (Otherwise serve family style on a large warm platter.)
Note: Add the tender ramp greens as a last step. If you have difficulty finding ramps, substitute with spring onions or scallions using white ends first and adding darker green tops (cut in 2-inch pieces) in the last step.
