Vinegar-Braised Chicken Legs
Inspired by techniques from Bon Appétit.
Whole chicken legs are browned skin side down until crackling, then braised with shiitake, star anise, cinnamon and a full 240 ml of red wine vinegar until they fall apart. A quick spell under the grill brings the skin back to crisp before everything is spooned over with the thickened sauce.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Brown the chicken. Season the chicken legs all over with the salt. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or wide, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken skin side down and cook until the skin is deep golden brown and very crisp, 10-12 minutes. Transfer skin side up to a plate.
- 2
Build the braise. Add the shiitake mushrooms, shallots, cinnamon sticks, ginger, chilli, garlic and star anise to the pot. Cook, stirring now and then, until the shallots and garlic are lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Pour in the chicken broth, vinegar, raisins, soy sauce and brown sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
- 3
Braise until tender. Nestle the chicken legs skin side up back into the pot. Bring to a simmer, then lower the heat as needed to keep it at a gentle simmer. Cook until the chicken is very tender and the knee joint flexes easily, 60-75 minutes.
- 4
Reduce the liquid. Heat the grill to high. Lift the chicken onto a foil-lined baking tray. Raise the heat under the pot to medium-high and simmer the braising liquid until it's thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Taste and add a little more salt if needed.
- 5
Re-crisp and serve. Grill the chicken just until the skin is crisp again, 30-60 seconds. Transfer to a platter, spoon the braising liquid, shallots and spices around it, and finish with the sliced chives.
Storage
Braised chicken keeps well. Refrigerate leftovers in the sauce within 2 hours and eat within 3-4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months; reheat gently until piping hot, re-crisping the skin under the grill if you like. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Why this label?
45 g protein for 696 kcal = 6.5 g per 100 kcal, so protein gives about 26% of the energy. High Protein needs at least 20% (5 g per 100 kcal), the condition in the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
Free sugars
11 g per serving
22 % of the 50 g daily maximum · 44 % of the ideal 25 g
Free sugars under 50 g a day, ideally about 25 g, based on WHO free-sugar guidance (not endorsed by WHO). The share shown is the share of one serving. WHO
Equipment
- chef's knife
- chopping board
- large Dutch oven or wide heavy pot
- tongs
- instant-read thermometer
- foil-lined baking tray
- grill
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 696 kcal |
| Protein | 45 g |
| Carbohydrate | 28.7 g |
| of which sugars | 14.4 g |
| of which free sugars | 11 g |
| Fat | 43.8 g |
| of which saturates | 11.5 g |
| Fibre | 2.9 g |
| Salt | 3.88 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
6.5 g meets High Protein (≥ 5 g, 20% of energy)
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
