Farro With Chicken And Chanterelle Ragù

Farro With Chicken And Chanterelle Ragù
3.6 from 8 ratings
Farro's nutty flavor is accentuated when toasted lightly in olive oil, and it is the perfect match for the earthy, delicate flavors of chanterelle mushrooms in this elegant yet easy main dish. Serve with a simple arugula salad dressed with lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil to start. Click here to see A Pasta Cookbook for All Seasons.
Servings
6
servings
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • four 8- to 10-ounce chicken legs
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 small yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 small carrot, chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon chopped rosemary
  • 2 teaspoon chopped thyme
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1/2 cup canned whole san marzano tomatoes, crushed through a food mill or sieve
  • 8 ounce chanterelles
  • 2 quarts chicken broth, plus more to taste
  • 1 pound farro, rinsed and soaked in cold water overnight
  • chopped flat-leaf parsley, to taste
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Heat ¼ cup of the oil in a 4-quart Dutch oven over medium heat. Season the chicken legs with salt and pepper, to taste, and add them to the hot oil in a single layer. Cook, turning as necessary, until golden brown on all sides, about 8 minutes total cooking time.
  3. Add the onion, carrot, celery, rosemary, and thyme and stir to coat them with the fat. Sauté, stirring often, until the vegetables are slightly tender and just starting to brown, about 10 minutes.
  4. Add the wine, stirring well to dissolve any juices that have reduced in the pot, and continue to cook until the wine has nearly cooked away. Add the tomatoes and the chanterelles.
  5. Transfer the pot to the oven and cook until the chicken is very tender, about 30 minutes. Turn the chicken as it cooks to keep it evenly moistened. If the liquid cooks away while preparing the chicken, add a bit of broth.
  6. As soon as the legs are done, remove the pot from the oven and lift the chicken legs from the sauce. When they are cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the bones and remove and discard the skin and any tendons. Cut the meat into large dice and return it to the sauce in the pan.
  7. Drain the farro and blot dry with a clean towel. Bring the broth to a boil in a large saucepan and season with salt, to taste. Heat the remaining oil in a casserole over medium heat. Add the farro and sauté, stirring constantly, until the grains are evenly coated with the oil, about 1 minute.
  8. Add about 1 cup of the boiling broth to the farro and stir until it has been almost completely absorbed. Continue adding the broth to the farro in the same manner until all of the broth has been added and the farro is moist but not soupy, and tender but with a discernible bite, about 30 minutes.
  9. Add the chicken ragù to the farro during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Transfer to a heated serving bowl or soup plates and top with the parsley, to taste.