Braised Rhubarb Chicken Recipe

June 28, 2013

Let’s get serious…… about rhubarb. I know it is almost July but you should not give up on rhubarb, not yet. 2013 still has time for one or two more rhubarb recipes and guess what? They don’t have to be dessert!

If you have any know-it-all foodie friends (or if that person is you…although I know it’s not) I’m sure they’ve told you that rhubarb is actually a vegetable! That’s right, it’s a member of the buckwheat family, and not only that, rhubarb is really good for you. It helps strengthen bones, has crazy amounts of that rare vitamin-K which gives you super brain power (as if you weren’t smart enough already) and helps lower cholesterol.

What I’m trying to tell you is that if you eat rhubarb with something other than a bowl full of sugar for dipping (which is what my grandma used to give us right before she’d send us out to the backyard) you will feel good about yourself—and see better…’cause rhubarb helps protect eye health, FYI.

A good place to start in rhubarb-as-vegetable cooking is with a delicious braised chicken dish like this one. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, braising chicken is hands down the best way to cook it. It is nearly impossible to overcook, stays juicy, and comes out meltingly tender.

The rhubarb here is tossed in at the end so it retains some bite and adds an excellent tart note to offset the richness of the chicken. Serve over rice (I did a half-and-half mix of Jasmine and black) to soak up the cardamom and ginger scented sauce.

Braised Rhubarb Chicken

Adapted slightly from CHOW

Yield: 4-6 1x

Ingredients

Scale

1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds) cut into 10 pieces (each breast cut in half)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons finely chopped ginger
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup orange juice
1 pound fresh rhubarb, all leaves removed and sliced into 1-inch thick slices

Instructions

Heat oven to 375°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Season chicken pieces generously with salt and pepper.
Heat oil over medium heat in a large, oven-safe braiser until shimmering then add half the chicken pieces. Let cook, undisturbed, until browned and easily pull away from the bottom of the pan, about 5 minutes. Turn and repeat on the other side, transfer to a clean plate. Brown the remaining chicken on both sides, then transfer to the plate.
Return the pan to the heat and add the shallots, ginger, and cardamom. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring constantly, until starting to brown, about 1 minute. Add wine and scrap up any browned bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pan with the back of a wooden spoon. Add chicken broth, honey, and orange juice and bring to a boil.
Place chicken in the pan skin side up, cover and transfer to the oven. Let cook until chicken is no longer pink in the middle, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and scatter rhubarb around the chicken. Cover and return to oven for another 15 minutes or until rhubarb is tender when pierced with a knife. Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed and serve.