Joanne Weir's Chicken Ragout with Autumn Vegetables

Joanne Weir teaches hands-on cooking courses in her professional kitchen in San Francisco and also has a schedule of week-long journeys to locations in France, Italy, and Spain. She is the author of several cookbooks. Her latest cookbook is Wine Country Cooking.

You can find out more about Joanne Weir and her cooking classes on her Web site.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 (4 oz/120g) bacon slices, cut into 1/2-inch (1.25-cm) dice
• 1 whole chicken, about 4 pounds (1.7kg), cut into 10 pieces
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cups (32 fl oz/950ml) dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
• 4 cups (32 fl oz/950ml) chicken stock -see below for homemade
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 6 parsley sprigs, tied together
• 2 parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) lengths
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) lengths
• 1 medium turnip, peeled and cut into 8 wedges
• 1 medium rutabaga, peeled and cut into 8 wedges
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large, heavy casserole over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until light golden, about 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Increase the heat to medium high. In the same pan, add the chicken in a single layer with space between and cook until light golden on each side, 10 minutes. Remove the white meat. Add the bacon and mix well. Increase the heat to high and add the wine, stock, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and parsley. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Place the white meat back in the pan and continue to cook until the chicken is done, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan with tongs and set aside, covered with foil to keep warm.

Strain the liquid and pour it back into the pan. Discard the solids. Add the parsnips, carrots, turnip, and rutabaga, cover, and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the vegetables from the pan. Increase the heat to high and reduce the broth until 3 cups remain, 5 to 8 minutes. Skim.

In a small bowl, mash together the flour and remaining 1 tablespoon butter with a fork. Bring the liquid to a boil and, with a whisk, mix the flour and butter into the liquid, simmering until the liquid thickens and coats a spoon lightly, 2 to 3 minutes.

To serve, heat the sauce over medium high heat until it is hot. Add the chicken and vegetables and heat through, 3 to 4 minutes. Place the vegetables and chicken on a platter and drizzle the sauce over the top. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Serves 4 to 6

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Joanne Weir's Rich Homemade Chicken Stock

• 5 lb (2 kg) chicken parts, backs, necks, wings, excess fat removed
• 1 onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 12 parsley stems
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh or dry thyme
• 2 bay leaves

Place all of the ingredients in a stock pot.  Add water to 2" over the bones.  Bring to a boil and immediately reduce heat to a simmer.  Simmer slowly until the meat has fallen off the bone and the stock tastes very rich, 5 to 6 hours.  As the level of the liquid decreases in the pot, replenish it periodically to maintain the original level.

Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl.  Place in the refrigerator and allow the stock to cool completely.  When it has cooled, remove the fat from the top with a spoon. 

Makes 8 to 12 cups

Joanne Weir's Cookbooks