Drunken Chicken

I made another recipe from the Italian cookbook Charlie gave me for fathers day and used up the rest of the arborio rice to make more risotto and used up the last of the dates to make date flavored milk shakes.

DRUNKEN CHICKEN

1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces (I used 6 thighs and two drumsticks)
Salt and Pepper
1 tsp. paprika
1 Tbsp. flour plus extra for dusting
1/2 C. olive oil
1 tsp. dry oregano
1 lb. pearl onions, trimmed and peeled. ( I only used a couple of shallots)
6 cloves, halved
3 cups white wine
1 1/2 C. chicken stock + more just in case
2 sprigs tarragon

Season chicken with salt, pepper and paprika, then dust with flour.  Heat oil in deep saute pan, add oregano and brown chicken or all sides, about 10 to 15 minutes.  Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

Add onions with chicken drippings and season with salt and pepper.  Cook over medium heat until onions start to caramelize, add garlic and cook until starts to brown.

Add the wine and deglaze the pan, scraping up any brown bits stuck to pan with flat of wooden spoon.  Put the chicken back in.

Add 1 1/2 C. chicken stock and the tarragon and bring to boil on high heat.  Reduce to a simmer.  Cover and simmer until cooked through, about 30 minutes.  The meat should come off the bone easlily when pulled with a fork.  If necessary, add more stock to keep the chicken from drying out and frying.

Remove chicken and tarragon from pan, add 1 tablespoon of flour, whisk until sauce has no lumps.

Put the chicken back in the pan and cook for another 2 more minutes.



DATE SHAKE

put 9 or 10 seeded dates in blender with enough milk to make a slurry when blended.  Add about 8 scoops of ice cream and blend until all mixed together.  Add more milk of thinner shake is desired.

RISOTTO

Didn't really follow a specific recipe.  Used a box of brown mushrooms and half an onion and a couple cloves of garlic.  Softened mushrooms in olive oil, added onions, then garlic.  Added rice and coated with olive oil and cooked a few minutes before adding 1/2 C. white wine to deglaze pan.

Added 4 cups chicken stock about half a cup at a time, stirring almost constantly between additions to keep rice from sticking.  As liquid was absorbed, added more.  Stopped cooking when I had about 1/2 C. broth to add and waited until chicken was done to return rice to heat and stir in last bit of liquid, tasted for salt and doneness, stirred in about a tablespoon of butter and served immediately.