Braised Chicken Leg Quarters for Bloggers CLUE Society

It's time to play CLUE again.  Not as in Ms. Scarlett with the rope in the library, although that is a fun game too.  No, this is CLUE as in Cook, Learn, Undertake and Eat.

There is some sleuthing though because we each go into another bloggers site and investigate all of their recipes until we determine which recipe is the one we want to replicate.  This month I was assigned Lea Ann of Cooking on the Ranch.  Lea Ann is a food and wine lover so you know that she is a wonderful, fun, outgoing person.  She lives in Colorado and loves to cook authentic Mexican.  I love Mexican so you think I would have picked one of her great recipes like Breakfast Burrito with Green Chile Sauce, Shrimp Burritos con Queso or Pepita Mexican Chocolate Cake and I will definitely be revisiting these recipes.  I get to check out Lea Ann's site pretty often since we belong to several of the same groups but on the day I went onto Cooking on the Ranch for today's recipe I was looking specifically for a recipe using Chicken Leg Quarters and I hit pay dirt with Lea Ann's Braised Chicken Thighs with Porcini and Dried Cherries.

Let me explain for those of you who are not regulars to my blog.  We raise our own meat chickens here on the farm so our chicken doesn't come in pieces.  Each week, I pull out a whole bird and I normally get 3 meals for us out of that one bird.  The week I was looking on Lea Ann's site I had already used the breast meat for another meal and I had taken off the chicken leg quarters before throwing the carcass and wings into the stockpot.  So I was very excited when I found this recipe because I love braising the dark meat of my birds.   Lea Ann expressed this beautifully in her post when she said

"Something about a crispy skin combined with a slow cook in the oven with endless combinations of flavor partners and you’ve got a melt in your mouth flavorful meal."

I couldn't agree more Lea Ann and this recipe is a wonderful example of her words.  Thanks Lea Ann for a wonderful dinner.

I did make some changes I used 2 chicken leg quarters instead of 2 lbs of thighs.  I substituted Greek yogurt for the sour cream, olive oil for the canola oil and dried cranberries for the cherries because that was what I had on hand. I also cut down a step at the beginning of the recipe when making the garlic broth.  I couldn't understand why the original recipe had Lea Ann use four cups of water, reduce it down to 2 cups and then only use 1 cup in the recipe.  I just reduced 2 cups of water down to 1 and called it a day.

This is a wonderful one pot meal.

After browning the chicken, layer the potatoes in the same skillet.

Return the chicken and scatter the garlic and cranberries around.

Add the garlic broth mixture, cover and relax with a glass of wine as it braises.

When the potatoes are tender and the chicken is cooked through, flip the chicken over.

Place under the broiler for about 8 minutes until it is golden brown.

The potatoes are tender, the chicken is juicy and dinner is served.

Braised Chicken with Potatoes, Porcini and Cranberries
adapted from Food and Wine via Cooking on the Ranch

1 T. + 1 t. olive oil.
11 lg garlic cloves, 8 whole and 3 crushed
1 c. Greek yogurt
1/2 oz. dried porcini mushrooms
salt and pepper to taste
2 chicken leg quarters
2 med Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8" thick
1/2 c. dried cranberries

In a medium saucepan heat the 1 t. olive oil over low heat.  Add the whole garlic cloves. Cook and stir until golden and fragrant, about 5 min.  Add 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Lower heat, partially cover and simmer until reduced by half about 45 minutes.  Remove the garlic and place broth in a bowl.  Whisk in the yogurt and mushrooms.  Set aside.

Season the chicken leg quarters with salt and pepper.  Heat 1 T. of olive oil in a cast iron skillet. Brown the chicken and remove to a plate.  Arrange the potato slices in the cast iron skillet, overlapping slightly.  Set the chicken, skin side down on top of the potatoes. Scatter the garlic and cranberries around the chicken.  Pour the garlic broth mixture over all.  Cover and place in a preheated 350* oven for 20 minutes.  Reduce heat to 300* and cook for another 45 minutes to an hour, until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is cooked through.

Preheat the broiler. turn the chicken skin side up and place the skillet under the broiler until the chicken is golden and crisp 5-10 minutes.  Print Recipe

Let's check out the other recipes submitted this month

• Apple Coffee Cake by Jean from Lemons and Anchovies
• Applesauce Cranberry Bundt Cake by Aly from Cooking in Stilettos
• Baked Squash Stuffed with Homemade Applesauce by Kathy from A Spoonful of Thyme
• Banana Peanut Butter Chip Muffins by Christy from Confessions of a Culinary Diva
• Braised Chicken Leg Quarters by Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Brussels Sprouts with Harissa, Honey and Lime by Stacy from Food Lust People Love
• Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins by Lora from Cake Duchess
• Creamy Butternut Squash Soup by Azmina from Lawyer Loves Lunch
• Fire-Roasted Tomato Soup by Christiane from Taking on Magazines
• Frangelico Squares by Kate from Kate's Kitchen
• Garlic Home Fries by Kim from Liv Life
• German Apple Pancake by Liz from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Honey Sriracha Sweet Potatoes by Lauren from Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Hot Curried Chicken Salad by Debra from Eliot's Eats
• Pumpkin Bran Muffins by Anna from annaDishes
• Pumpkin Bread with Pumpkin Ale by Lea Ann from Cooking on the Ranch
• Pumpkin Palmiers by Lisa from Authentic Suburban Gourmet
• Raspberry Cointreau Syllabub by Kate from Kate's Kitchen
• Witchy Finger Cookies by Sue from A Palatable Pastime

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