chicken ragu

 After binging Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat on Netflix, Kory and really liking Samin's ragu recipe, I checked out the book from the library and we decided to try to poultry variation. We only made a half recipe again and I used Voga Pina Grigio from TJ's.Kory thinks he likes this variation even more than the beef/pork version.

Ingredients

• Approximately 1 cup (200 grams) extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 pounds whole chicken legs (drumstick and thighs with skin and bones
• 2 medium yellow onions, minced
• 1 large carrot, minced
• 2 large celery stalks, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
• 1 1⁄2 cups (340 grams) white wine
• 3 cups (450 grams) chicken stock 
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 1- by 3-inch (3- by- 7 centimeter) strip of lemon zest
• 5 tablespoons (80 grams) tomato paste
• 1 fresh rosemary sprig (or about a teaspoon dried)
• 1/4 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
• Parmesan rind
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Set a large Dutch oven or similar pot over high heat and add enough olive oil to coat the bottom. Brown the chicken in batches 8-10 minutes. Do not season the meat yet—salt will draw out water and delay browning. Use tongs to transfer the meat to a large bowl, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.
2. Add the onions, carrots, and celery—the soffritto—to the same pot and cook over medium-high heat. The amount of fat should be sufficient to nearly cover the soffritto, so add more olive oil as needed, at least another 3⁄4 cup (150 grams). Cook, stirring regularly, until the vegetables are tender and the soffritto is a deep brown, 25 to 30 minutes. (You can cook the soffritto in olive oil a day or two in advance, if you like, to break up the time-intensive steps in the recipe. Soffritto also freezes well for up to 2 months!). For the last 20 seconds or so, add in the garlic slices until fragrant.
3. Return the meat to the pot, increase the heat to high, and add the wine. Scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to release any browned bits into the sauce.
4. Add stock, the bay leaves, zest, tomato paste, rosemary, mushrooms, and Parmesan rind, if using. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
5. Let the sauce continue to simmer, stirring occasionally. After 30 to 40 minutes, start tasting the mixture and adjusting salt, acid, sweetness, richness, and body. If it needs some acid, add a secret splash of wine. If it seems bland, add tomato paste to bring it to life and lend sweetness. If the ragù seems thin, add a generous splash of stock. It’ll reduce as it simmers, leaving behind its gelatin to help thicken the sauce.
6. Simmer over the lowest possible heat, skimming off the fat from time to time and stirring often, until the meat is tender and the flavors have melded, about 1 1⁄2 to 2 hours. When you are satisfied that the ragù is done, use a spoon or ladle to skim off the fat that has risen to the surface and remove the Parmesan rinds, bay leaves, and citrus peels. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper again.
7. To serve: Bring a large pot filled with at least 5 quarts of water to a rolling boil. Season generously with salt until it tastes like the summer sea. Don’t worry too much about how much salt it takes to season the water properly: Most of it will go down the drain. You just need to create a salty cooking environment that will season the pasta in the few minutes it spends in the pot.
8. Add 4 portions fresh pasta or 1 pound dried pasta to water and cook until al dente. While pasta cooks, bring 2 cups ragù to a boil in a large skillet. Add cooked pasta to sauce and toss to coat along with butter and a little pasta cooking water. Serve with ample freshly grated Parmesan.