One-Pot Ginger Chicken and Rice

Ingredients:

4-6 chicken thighs (bone-in)
3/4 tsp kosher salt
2 large shallots, finely chopped
8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 two-inch piece of ginger, peeled & chopped
2 cups basmati rice, rinsed
1 tablespoon soy sauce

1.  Pat chicken dry and season with salt.  Arrange, skin side down, in a cold, dry medium dutch oven and set over medium heat.  Cook, undisturbed, until skin is golden brown and crisp and easily releases from the pot, 8-10 minutes.  Move thighs around to different spots and continue to cook until deeply browned, 3-5 minutes longer.  Transfer chicken to a plate.  Let pot cool for two minutes.

2. Set pot over medium-low heat; add shallots, garlic, and ginger and cook, stirring constantly, until very fragrant but not browned, about 2 minutes.  Stir in rice and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute.  Stir in soy sauce, pinch of salt, and 3 cups of water.  Nestle chicken back into rice mixture in the pot, skim-side up.  Increase heat to medium and bring to a simmer.

3. Immediately cover pot, reduce heat to low, and cook 25 minutes.  Remove from heat and let the chicken and rice sit for 10 minutes.

Hen and Dumplings

For stewing the hen and broth:
1 (3-4 pound) chicken
3 quarts cold water
3 medium carrots, peeled
3 celery stalks
1 small onion, halved
1 head garlic, halved crosswise, plus 1 clove grated
2 bay leaves
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black peppercorns
1-1/4  cups dry white wine
1 large leek, white & green parts cut into medium dice and washed; green top washed and reserved
1 cup torn herbs, like parsley, dill, chervil, chives, for garnish

For dumplings: 
1 slice white bread, crust removed and bread torn into small pieces
1/4 cup stock
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup finely diced shallots
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
6 ounces ground veal or chicken
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup sliced chives
zest of 1 lemon

1. In a 6-quart stockpot, combine chicken with cold water.  Bring to simmer over high heat.  Begin to skim away any fat or scum from surface.  Add one carrot, one celery stalk, onion, split garlic head, bay leaves, 1 tablespoon salt, peppercorns and 1 cup wine.  Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until chicken is tender, 2-1/2 - 3 hours.

2.  Transfer chicken to cutting board.  When cool enough to handle, remove skin and meat.  Return bones to the pot.  Simmer, uncovered, 1-1/2-2 hours and add leek tops for last 30 minutes.

3.  While stock simmers, prepare dumplings.  Heat oven to 450 degrees. Soak bread in 1/4 cup chicken stock for 5 minutes, squeeze out excess.  Melt 3 tablespoons butter in large, oven-proof pan over medium heat.  Add shallots, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper and saute 7-8 minutes.  Meanwhile, mince soaked bread and about 10 ounces of the reserved chicken meat and skin. In a bowl combine, minced bread/chicken mixture with ground veal or chicken, eggs, chives, lemon zest and 1/2 tsp salt.  Add shallots.  Form into golf-ball sized dumplings and refrigerate 1 hour.

4.  Heat pan used for shallots over medium heat and add remaining butter.  Gently add dumplings to skillet and let cook, undisturbed until browned, 5 minutes.  Use soup spoons to gently flip dumplings.  Transfer skillet to oven and bake 12-15 minutes until firm, basting dumplings with butter form pan midway through cooking.

5.  Pour stock through a fine-mesh strainer.  (You should have about 2 quarts. Top with water if necessary.)  Discard vegetables and bones.  Chop remaining leeks, carrots and celery into bite-size pieces.  Return stock to simmer and add chopped vegetables and remaining wine.  Simmer until just soft, about 4 minutes. Add herbs and remove pot from heat. Divide dumplings among 4-5 bowls and ladle soup over top.

One-Pan Roasted Chicken with Root Vegetables

12 ounces Brussels Sprouts, trimmed and halved
12 ounces red potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
8 ounces shallots, peeled and halved
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
6 garlic cloves, peeled
4 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
1 tablespoon oil
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced
1 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3-1/2 pounds bone-in chicken pieces (our 8-piece pack)

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 475.  Toss Brussels sprouts, potatoes, shallots, carrots, garlic, 2 tsp thyme, oil, 1 tsp rosemary, sugar, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 tsp pepper together.  In a second bowl, combine butter, remaining thyme and rosemary, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 tsp pepper and set aside.

Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.  Place vegetables in a single layer on rimmed baking sheet, arranging Brussels sprouts in center.  Place chicken, skin side up, on top of vegetables arranging breast pieces in center and leg/thigh pieces around the perimeter.

Brush chicken with herb butter mixture and roast until breast registers 160 F and thighs/drumsticks 175 F, about 35-40 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through roasting.

Transfer chicken to a serving platter and let rest 10 minutes.  Toss vegetables in pan juices add to platter with chicken.