Riffs: Braised chicken legs with mushrooms and garlic scapes

This is one for all you folks out there who like to improvise, because this is Annalena improvising, at her finest.  And ultimately, that is what cooking should be all about:  you learn the rules, and then you don't "break" them, nor do you "bend" them:  you just make them work for you.

As you develop your cooking skills, as Annalena preaches incessantly, you will learn that, even within baking, which is allegedly the most scientific of all forms, there is a whole lot of freedom.  Indeed, one could argue that good cooking, rather than being "classic" is "jazzy," because as jazz musicians will say , while there's freedom, it's within the rules.

When Annalena put this dish out on the table last night and told the Guyman she had made it up, he didn't quite believe her.  In fact, she didn't so much make it up, as put together things that she knew from other recipes, or other people.  Ultimately, that is what you have to do, if you are going to be known as a "good cook."  Annalena does NOT believe that it is easy to follow a recipe, as you all know from her ravings, but it is even harder to get comfortable with accepting that it's YOUR kitchen, and it's YOUR dish.  So, ragazzi, follow along with this, but if you decide that your riff is different, please go ahead.  And Annalena has some suggestions for you within this.

The recipe came out of one of those frantic weeks, where Annalena found herself without a plan for Thursday dinner.  This does not happen often, and in years gone by, that would have meant the Chinese take out menu came out of the drawer.  Not now.   Annalena has an inventory of what's in her freezer (more proof that she needs a life), but that was helpful.  She knew she had two complete chicken legs in there (drumstick and thighs).  That would be enough for dinner for she and the Guyman.  And then at the farmers market, she picked up a half pound of shitake mushrooms.  The other ingredients were around.   Here we go.

First, you salt your chicken legs the morning  of  (and this will work for more than two legs, ragazzi.  Just up the mushrooms).  When you're ready to cook, slice a half pound of shitakes (use whatever mushroom you like), into about 1/4 inch pieces.  With shitakes, you will be saving the stems for soup, or as Annalena does, chew on them, but don't cook with them.  Too tough.  Also,  you will need a cup of chicken stock, and a half cup of white wine , which you can change to more chicken stock.  Annalena also used a bunch of garlic scapes , which are all over the market now.  If you cannot find them, use something that is long, thin, and green:  scallions, or broccoli rabb, or in the later part of the summer, long beans, something like that.  Don't go for things like string beans (which are now called green beans, since the string has been bred out of them), or other vegetables that cook quickly.  You could use kale, or chard, or beet greens too.

Put a few tablespoons of olive oil in a big pan, and also, turn your oven to 400 degrees.  When your oil is hot, add your mushrooms, a teaspoon of salt, and a couple of sprigs of oregano.  If you don't have oregano, stick to something like marjoram, or even tarragon. This dish cooks too long for basil to work, and rosemary WILL work, but long cooking - like here - brings out the piney elements of rosemary.  So if you use it, make sure your stems are tender, and not woody.

Your mushrooms are going to soak up the oil so expect things to be dry. You can address this by adding about a quarter cup of water, which will also dissolve any mushroom browning parts. Now, add your scapes, or other green vegetable, and just toss it around for a couple of minutes.  Get this all out into a bowl, and add another two tablespoons of oil.

Annalena has said that chicken legs have a good deal of fat in them, so don't be surprised at what happens:  you will find yourself with more fat in the pan than you started with, as your chicken browns.  Brown the legs about five minutes to a side.  After they've cooked, add some more branches of oregano, and your mushroom and vegetable mix.  Pour in the stock and wine, cover the pan tightly, and put it in the oven.  Either do something else in the kitchen, go read a book,  mistranslate Italian, or something that's fun.  You need to leave this be for about thirty minutes.    Thirty will give you "just cooked," very juicy chicken.  Some folks do like it more cooked, and dryer.  If you're one of them, go for another ten minutes.

Now, protect your hands and take the pan out of the oven.  Using tongs, or something similar, get the legs to a plate, and use a slotted spoon to take out the veggies, and the herbs.  To the extent you can locate them, toss the herbs.

You'll have a lot of liquid in the bottom:  drippings from the chicken, the stock, the fat, etc.  You want to reduce this.  You can do it by turning the heat up high on your burner, and tipping the pan so that the liquids are on a side of the pan, just missing the flame.  You'll know if you're too close to the fire, trust Annalena on this.  Every now and then, flip the pan back to horizontal, and see how much it's reduced.  When it's down by about half, or even more, if you want to, add a third of a cup of creme fraiche, or heavy cream (heaven forbid), or take it off the heat and use yogurt, or sour cream.  The fat free stuff will break and be a disaster, so don't use it here.   Stir it all together, and pour it over the chicken and veggies.

You should try to use the scapes here.  Annalena saw them cooked by her gal pal Melissa and served over tuna.  That's where she got the idea. Chicken with mushrooms?  How many recipes for that have you seen?

So, carini, go give it a try.  This is one that takes more time than some of our other recipes, but ultimately, it's really, really easy, and really really good.

And let Annalena know about your riffs .