Quick-Braised Chicken With Greens

I never understand why these recipes specify "de-stemmed" greens - if treated properly, stems add flavor and fiber, and there's no reason to waste them. As other commenters have advised elsewhere, just slice or chop the stems and add them in around the same time as the onion.

In Italy whole chickens are often roasted in an aluminum-foil packet, which skips the browning in favor of an unusually moist and flavorful bird. Season with salt, put some peppercorns, herb sprigs (parsley, thyme, rosemary) and maybe some lemon slices and shallots into the cavity, close the opening, brush with melted butter, scatter garlic and more shallots, around the bird, and seal. Start at 400 for a half hour, then reduce heat to 350 for 30 minutes more. Open spectacularly at the table.

This is quite good! I modified a few things, though, which I thought was helpful: - added some minced garlic when the onions were nearly done cooking down (surprised this recipe didn't call for any!) - added a few dashes of cayenne pepper to give it some more heat - added a can of great northern beans near the end I agree with other folks that stems in this are great. I used rainbow chard, and cut the stems small enough so they had enough time to cook down.

Chard stems are delicious. I wouldn’t know about kale stems as the vegetable is all but non-existent in Italy, and regarded with suspicion as food for horses.

Chard stems are fine, but does anyone seriously like kale stems? I find them intolerable and avoid buying bags of kale where they are just lazily chopped in with the leaves. It’s like biting into a tree.

Exceeded expectations. Added diced carrot w/onions just because and grated garlic w/tomato paste etc. Decided to go “all in” & used gourmet brand sliced Greek pepperoncini. Recommend. Diced Tuscan kale ribs, cooked w/tomato paste mix. Cooking time longer for thighs to get tender enough to “shred w fork” but end result was delicious and so flavorful! Olive oil toast - rub w/garlic to up flavor to match the braise. Don’t hold back! This is delicious especially on a cold Winter’s night.

What do people - and Aly S? - think about using kimchee as the source of pickled taste? (I happen to have all the other ingredients handy).

Made this according to the recipe… but I made the fried toast in the pot that I was going to make the braise in first… then followed the recipe making this a one pot meal. Very good. Definitely make the oil-fried toast.

Made per recipe with jarred sliced cherry peppers. The olive oil toast was a sublime accompaniment. Will definitely make again!

Max Alexander: kale is eaten by Italians, at least in Tuscany. What Americans refer to as “dinosaur kale” is known as “cavolo nero” in Florence. It is widely used in soups, including the celebrated “Ribollita”.

If you're using bone-in, skin-on thighs, the soup might be fattier, but otherwise I think you could follow the recipe just the same. Might need a few more minutes to cook the chicken through.

Perfect for a cold January nite-- the sugar, peppers, and tomatoes made for a nice tanginess, and those flavors really popped with a teaspoon of white balsamic vinegar. I also used the greens's stems, diced up and sautéed with the onions.

Made it mostly as directed, with pepperoncini and a mix of kale and collards. Was scrumptious! We loved the tanginess of it. I had to simmer it longer than twenty minutes for the chicken to be tender enough to shred easily. But it’s a solid dish for a January weeknight. So easy.

Can I make this with bone-in chicken thighs and take the cooked and slightly cooled chicken off the bone and return it to the pot? if so, are there any recommended changes?

Kale is cavalo Nero in Italy, no?