Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken and Braise
- 1000 g chicken leg quarters, patted dry
- 200 g andouille sausage, sliced into 5mm rounds
- 15 ml neutral oil, such as canola or grapeseed
- 150 g yellow onion, diced
- 100 g celery, diced
- 100 g green bell pepper, diced
- 15 g garlic, minced
- 240 ml red wine, dry, such as cabernet sauvignon or pinot noir
- 500 ml chicken broth
- 5 g fresh thyme, tied in a bundle
- 2 bay leaf
Arborio Rice Grits Risotto
- 250 g arborio rice
- 45 g unsalted butter, divided, kept cold
- 50 g shallot, finely minced
- 120 ml dry white wine
- 750 ml chicken broth, kept warm
- 50 g parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 1213 kcal
- Protein
- 62 g
- Carbohydrates
- 64 g
- Fat
- 93 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 6 g
- Sodium
- 2160 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 19 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 20 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 9 g
- Cholesterol
- 271 mg
- Potassium
- 1017 mg
- Calcium
- 256 mg
- Iron
- 6.2 mg
- Magnesium
- 103 mg
- Phosphorus
- 639 mg
- Zinc
- 5.3 mg
- Vitamin A
- 186 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 28 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.3 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 17 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 1.2 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.6 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.67 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.68 mg
- Niacin
- 16.2 mg
- Folate
- 180 mcg
- Water
- 659 g
- Alcohol
- 9 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Working in batches, place the Arborio rice into a food processor and pulse 5 to 7 times until the grains are broken into coarse, grits-like pieces.
Preheat the Oven to 175°C/350°F.
Heat the neutral oil in a Heavy Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the chicken leg quarters generously with salt and pepper, then sear them skin-side down until golden brown, about 6 to 8 minutes per side. Remove with Tongs and set aside.
In the same Heavy Dutch oven, add the sliced andouille sausage. Sauté until the fat renders and the edges are browned, about 4 minutes. Remove and set aside with the chicken.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the diced yellow onion, celery, green bell pepper, and minced garlic to the rendered fat in the Heavy Dutch oven. Sauté until the vegetables soften and become aromatic, about 8 minutes.
Pour the red wine into the Heavy Dutch oven, using a Wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. Simmer and reduce the liquid by half, about 5 minutes.
Return the chicken and sausage to the pot. Pour in 500ml of chicken broth, then submerge the fresh thyme bundle and bay leaves. Cover the Heavy Dutch oven and braise in the preheated Oven for 60 minutes, ensuring the chicken reaches a minimum internal temperature of 74°C/165°F but ideally closer to 85°C/185°F for maximum tenderness.
While the chicken braises, pour the 750ml of chicken broth for the risotto into a separate Saucepan and keep at a bare simmer.
In a wide Saucepan, melt 15g of the unsalted butter over medium heat. Add the minced shallots and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes.
Add the broken arborio rice grits to the Saucepan with the shallots. Stir constantly with a Wooden spoon to lightly toast the grains without browning them, about 2 minutes.
Pour the dry white wine into the rice. Stir continuously until the wine is fully absorbed by the toasted grains.
Begin adding the warm chicken broth to the rice, one ladle at a time. Simmer and stir frequently, waiting until each addition is nearly absorbed before adding more. Continue until the rice grits are creamy but still have a slight bite, about 15 to 18 minutes.
Remove the risotto from the heat. Vigorously fold in the remaining 30g of cold unsalted butter and the freshly grated parmesan cheese until the mixture is glossy and well emulsified.
Divide the creamy rice grits among four warmed Serving bowls. Top each with a braised chicken leg quarter, scattered andouille sausage, and a generous ladle of the red wine braising liquid. Serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- For the best rice grits texture, pulse the arborio rice in short bursts. You want to crack the grains, not pulverize them into flour, which would make the risotto unpleasantly thick and gluey.
- Rendering the andouille sausage in the chicken fat builds an incredible depth of flavor known in Southern cooking as a fond. Scrape the bottom of the pot thoroughly when deglazing with the red wine to capture every bit of it.
- Always ensure raw poultry reaches an internal temperature of at least 74°C/165°F. However, for braised leg quarters, pushing the temperature to 85°C/185°F allows the tough connective tissues to fully break down, yielding melt-in-your-mouth, fork-tender meat.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store the chicken and braising liquid separately from the risotto.
Freezer: 2 months — Freeze chicken and sauce only; the rice grits risotto will become grainy and separate upon freezing.
Reheating: Gently reheat chicken in its braising liquid over low heat. Reheat risotto separately on the stove with a splash of warm broth, stirring vigorously to restore creaminess.
Troubleshooting
Rice grits turn into a mushy, gummy paste
Cause: Pulsing the rice too fine into flour rather than cracked grains, or over-stirring aggressively without enough liquid
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Pulse the arborio rice in short, one-second bursts just until cracked into halves or thirds. Monitor closely.
Chicken skin loses its crispness during braising
Cause: The liquid level is fully submerging the chicken, or the cooking environment is too moist
Fix: Place the braised chicken quarters on a baking sheet under a hot broiler for 2 to 3 minutes before plating.
Prevention: This is natural for a covered braise. For crisp skin, you can leave the skin exposed above the liquid line and braise uncovered, or place under the broiler for 3 minutes before serving.
Cultural Context
Rice grits, historically known as middlins, were the broken grains of rice that sifted through screens during milling. In Southern coastal kitchens, they were cherished for their incredibly creamy texture when cooked down. By applying the Italian risotto technique to these broken grains and pairing them with deeply savory Cajun andouille and red wine braised chicken, this dish bridges two world-class culinary traditions.
