Ingredients
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 4 1/2 lbs of chicken legs with the skin still on
- kosher salt and fresh black pepper to taste
- flour for dusting + two tablespoons reserved for the sauce
- 1 1/2 cups pearl onions, trimmed and peeled
- 4 cloves garlic, halved
- 1 cup white wine
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth plus 1/3 cup to the side
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh tarragon leaves plus 2 tablespoons to the side
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Preparation
Step 1
To get things started, heat the oil over high heat in a dutch oven. Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste and dust with flour. Add the chicken to the dutch oven, turning occasionally until the legs are well browned on all sides (about 8 minutes). Remove the chicken and set aside. Leave the oil and drippings in the dutch oven.
Add the onions and garlic to the pan used for the chicken, on medium-high heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring frequently until softened, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to high and add the wine. Use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits at the bottom of the pan and make sure those get mixed in well. Return the chicken to the pan. Add 3 cups of chicken broth and 1/2 cup of tarragon, then bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pan and cook, turning the chicken pieces over every 10 minutes until cooked through, about 40 minutes total for the legs. Transfer the chicken to a platter and loosely tent with foil while you finish the sauce.
In a small bowl, mix together the remaining 1/2 cup chicken broth and flour. Whisk the flour mixture into the sauce until smooth. Allow the sauce to simmer uncovered until thickened (about 8-10 minutes). Stir in the bitter and season again with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the sauce over the chicken and garnish with leftover tarragon.