Chicken with Tomatoes and Garlic (Ree Drummond)

Chicken+Tomatoes+Garlic = ??? Looking at Ree's photos, that equation has to equal Scrumptious! Golden brown chicken legs in a sea of red tomatoes with a peppering of whole garlic cloves. Doesn't that sound enticing? It does up to a point. If you are like me, who likes to overdose on certain ingredients, you better hold your horses before you throw your herbs in. Ree did say to add plenty of fresh herbs but that doesn't mean that you thrown a ton in.

I bought a packet of basil for this dish and not wanting to waste, added the whole lot in. Basil is supposed to go well with tomatoes but if you put too much, well.....it sort of spoils it, at least for me. I think rosemary would have worked better and I wouldn't mind repeating this dish as I think it has lots of promise. Nevertheless, even with the overtly strong basil aroma, I still relished every drop of the gravy.

I would add a lot more garlic next time and perhaps a scant sprinkling of fresh basil after the dish is cooked would be a better bet. Ree served this with pasta and I preferred to eat it as is because I have been on carbo overload since trying her recipes. Carbo overload = Happy :)

 

Chicken with Tomatoes and Garlic
Recipe source :Ree Drummond

(My notes and adaptations in red)

Ingredients :  
- 8 pieces Chicken Legs Or Thighs (1 used 4 chicken legs and 4 chicken thighs)
- Salt And Pepper, to taste
- 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Butter
- 1 can (28 Ounce) Diced Tomatoes
- 1 can (14 Ounces) Whole Tomatoes
- 2 Tablespoons (Heaping) Tomato Paste
- Fresh Herbs: Basil, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary
- 8 cloves Garlic
- 16 ounces, weight Pasta (Ree Used Cavitappi) (I omitted)
- Grated Parmesan Cheese, For Serving (I omitted)
- 1/2 cup White Wine (or Red Wine)(I omitted) 

Method :
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (200C)(I cooked on stove top) . Salt and pepper chicken legs.
2. Heat ovenproof skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and butter. When oil/butter is hot, add chicken legs to the pan. Using tongs, brown on all sides, about 2 minutes. Remove chicken from pan.
3. Pour in wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any bits. Cook for 1 minute. Pour in tomatoes with their juice and add tomato paste. Add salt and pepper to taste, stirring to combine. Bring sauce to a boil, then turn off heat. Add plenty of fresh herbs, 8 cloves of peeled (but whole) garlic, and the chicken legs. Put lid on pot and cook in the oven for 1 hour.
4. Remove pot from oven and allow it to sit on the counter with the lid on while you boil the pasta.
5. Cook the pasta to al dente, Drain and add to a large serving bowl.
6. Remove lid and check sauce. If it's overly thin, remove the chicken from the pot and boil the sauce on the stovetop for 5 to 10 minutes. Check seasonings and adjust as needed.
7. To serve, pour sauce over cooked pasta, then arrange chicken pieces over the top. Sprinkle generously with fresh Parmesan and serve with crusty French bread.
(Dish may be served with rice or mashed potatoes, instead!)

I'm linking this post to Cook Like a Star, an event co-hosted by Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids, Baby Sumo of Eat Your Heart Out and Mich of Piece of Cake. The featured chef for the month is Ree Drummond.