Braised chicken thighs with the addition of ground nutmeg, leeks, and the humble celery root makes a flavorful, filling, and low-carb one pan meal.
When winter solstice is almost upon the Northern Hemisphere, my craving for warm, comforting foods seems to steadily increase as the daylight diminishes.
Braised Chicken Thighs with Leeks and Celery Root is one such dish that falls into said comforting category for me.
It is sure to console just about anyone during the dark throes of winter.
What is Celery Root?
Celery root, aka celeriac, is the bulbous root of a specific type of celery plant. It has a mild flavor and a texture similar to a potato.
For a root vegetable, celery root it is very low in carbs. It contains nearly 1/4 of the carbs per serving to that of potatoes.
When it comes to preparing, it is also very versatile; mashed, fried, or roasted, celery root is always turns out tasty.
How to Peel Celery Root
When prepping celery root, the rough, knobby exterior can look a little daunting. It is not so bad if you approach it like a two-step process.
After scrubbing the celery root well, I slice off the top and bottom take an initial pass on peeling it with a large kitchen knife.
Next, I do a little clean up work with a vegetable peeler. From there, I just slice and dice away accordingly for whatever recipe I’m making.
How to Make Braised Chicken Thighs with Leeks and Celery Root
First, pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Generously season them with coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large, ovenproof skillet over medium high heat. Place the chicken thighs skin-side down and let them cook undisturbed until the skin is brown and crispy, about 8 minutes.
Flip the thighs over and cook them for another 3-4 minutes on the other side, then transfer them to a plate.
Add some sliced leeks, mushrooms and garlic to the skillet and cook until the leek is tender, about 5 minutes.
Deglaze the pan with a splash of white wine vinegar, scraping up any browned bits off the bottom of the pan.
Add the cubed celery root and carrot. Season with thyme and freshly grated nutmeg, then pour in 2 cups of chicken stock.
Nestle the chicken thighs back in the pan along with any accumulated juices. Transfer the pan to a 350°F oven and braise everything for about 1 hour.
Remove the pan from the oven and stir in some lemon slices and fresh parsley. Enjoy!
More Tasty One Pan Meals
Braised Chicken Thighs with Leeks and Celery Root
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 large leek sliced
- 6 ounces cremini mushrooms sliced
- 3 garlic cloves sliced
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 pound celery root cubed
- 1 large carrot sliced into rounds
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 lemon thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- coarse sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels and season both sides generously with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in a large, oven-proof skillet over medium high heat. Place the chicken thighs in the skillet, skin-side down, and cook undisturbed until the skin is brown and crispy, about 8 minutes.
- Flip the chicken over and cook on the other side for another 3-4 minutes, then transfer to a plate.
- Add the leek, mushrooms, and garlic to the skillet. Cook until the leek is tender, about 4-5 minutes.
- Pour in the vinegar and scrape up any browned bits off the bottom of the pan.
- Stir in the celery root, carrots, thyme, and nutmeg, then pour in the chicken stock. Nestle the chicken thighs back into the skillet and pour in any accumulated juices from the plate.
- Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook for 1 hour.
- Stir in the lemon slices and parsley and serve.
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Carla
Tuesday 23rd of March 2021
Great recipe. I was looking for a way to braise chicken thighs with celeriac and this is it! I didn't have leeks in the house, so used a sliced whole yellow onion. I also used a splash of vermouth in place of the white vinegar. Loved the carrot addition. YUM!
The Sophisticated Caveman
Wednesday 24th of March 2021
So glad you enjoyed it, Carla!!