Dutch Oven Chicken

This is a pretty simple meal to throw together, but I love the flavor of the vegetables so much that I'm going to blog about it.

Chicken Thighs (4)
Potatos
Carrots
Onion
Garlic
Chicken Broth

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Heat a little olive oil over a med heat in the bottom of your Dutch oven. (You can use a cast iron skillet, too.) While the olive oil is heating, salt and pepper the chicken. Cook the chicken for about 7 minutes on each side. This will give the chicken a nice brown crust. (I pulled the skin off the chicken before photographing it because the skin just doesn't photograph well.) While the chicken is cooking cut up your vegetables into nice big chunks. I put the garlic through the garlic press because I think this makes the garlic flavor really pop. It has something to do with the press breaking up the garlic cell walls. Who knew biology was going to come in so handy in the kitchen? Toss the vegetables into the Dutch oven while the Dutch oven is still hot. Let'em cook for a few minutes, then add chicken broth. You want the broth to be about half way up the side of the chicken. Cover the Dutch oven and put it in the oven.

Now, go have a glass of wine, help your kids with their fractions, fold a few loads of laundry, watch Seinfeld, etc.

Let the chicken and vegetables slow roast for a few hours. The longer it roasts the softer and more wonderful it will all taste. Check it a few times and add more broth if needed, stir it around a little, and enjoy that garlicy aroma that is rolling out of the kitchen.

Serve with a good crusty bread...something you can use to really sop up that yummy goodness.

Confession: I also toss in any vegetable leftovers from the last night or so. You know, the green beans that you had one serving left and you put 'em in the fridge for tomorrow, but let's be honest, in a week you are probably going to throw them out anyway.