Cipollini & Fingerlings

I realize that it’s been ages since I last wrote. Eons. Yes I have been eating, but no, I haven’t been going to the Farmer’s Market. I realize that my actions are completely absurd. Why, you are asking yourself, does this crazy person frequent the Farmer’s Market when it’s rainy, cold, and there’s not a green thing in sight, only to forgo its summertime bounty? Chance for one reason, and poor planning for the other. Chance has taken me away from this fare city more Saturdays than I care to count in the past six weeks, and those weekends when I was in the neighborhood, the market was not (honestly, guiltily) top on my agenda for one reason or another. And although I kind of hate to admit this, I think that I actually prefer the market when it is not in full swing. There’s something so hard-core, romantic, elemental, about going out in search of food when it’s not really a nice day to be out at all. That, and the market is really a pain in the summer. Strollers, wanderers, lines, I don’t have the patience for it. What I like are those dreary spring or fall days when it’s just the farmers and me, or so it seems.

While there were certainly more people there than just the farmers and myself this past weekend, my husband and I found time in our crazy Saturday to stop in at Pike Place Market. After a quick lunch of clam chowder at Emmett Watson’s Oyster Bar, we fought our way through the tourists and, once breaking through the mobs, ended up at the peaceful and roomy Sosio’s Produce. (You think I’m being sarcastic, but I’m not. I’ve discovered that at Pike’s nobody thinks to get off the main drag. Everyone hangs out in the center aisleway, all bunched together like the sardines a few stalls down. But just a few steps into one of the “stalls” and you’re alone. Beautiful.) The produce guys here are awesome. They are so blessedly opinionated and passionate about produce.Very New York, as my husband says. The peaches, I’m sad to report, were officially done, but the produce they’ve been replaced with is (almost) as luscious and exciting. Potatoes and onions, among other squash etc. now fills the shelves. No, no, these are not your ordinary potatoes and onions but rather tender and fresh fall treats.

Fingerling potatoes are one of my favorite delicacies, mostly because you rarely find really small, really fresh ones. About thumb-sized, these are actually baby long white potatoes. When cooked they are remarkably “potatoey” in both texture and flavor, as opposed to a dry, flaky russet. Cipollini (pronounced with an Italian ch) onions are also small, which is only one of the many reasons that they pair well with fingerlings. Not true onions at all, these slightly flattened spheres are actually bulbs of the grape hyacinth. They are quite sweet and succulent when cooked, yet retain a slightly tart, bittersweet quality as well. They do require a bit of prep time, but it is so worth it.

Being incredibly fall-like this weekend, the weather provided me the perfect opportunity to pair these two. I decided to make a sort of hunter’s stew or “blorch” as my dad would say. What a perfect excuse to open up an old bottle of wine, sit in front of the fire, and enjoy all the best that the new season has to offer.

Braised Chicken, Cipollini, and Fingerlings
About 1/2 pound cippolini onions
2 links linguica sausage, thinly sliced
1 whole chicken cut into 2 boneless breasts, legs and things (reserve the wings and body for stock or another use)
About 1/2 pound fingerling potatoes, cut in half long-ways
1/2 cup white wine
2 cups chicken stock
1 14-oz can large butter beans (or simmer dried beans slowly until tender, but this takes about 3 hours and a ton of water as they tend to really drink it up)
2 Tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped
Olive oil, salt and pepper

Top prepare onions, bring a sauce pan of water to a boil. Add onions, skins and all, to the water and boil for about 4-5 minutes. Drain and quickly run cold water over them. When cool enough to work with, cut both tip and root ends off, then slide the skin off. It should peel off easily, but if the first layer of onions come off as well, that’s alright.

Heat large saute pan over medium high heat and evenly brown sausage pieces, turning occassionally. Remove sausage to a paper towel-lined plate. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper and add to the remaining fat in the pan. Without turning, let brown for about 5 minutes, then turn and brown the remaining side. Remove chicken to plate with sausage.

Add about 2 Tbsp. olive oil to the saute pan. Arrange fingerlings flesh-side down in a single layer (as much as possible). Without turning, allow to brown for about 5 minutes, then stir and continue browning for another 5 minutes or so. Add white wine, deglazing brown bits on the bottom of the pan (about 1 minute). Place chicken on top of the potatoes, then cover with broth and onions. Cover and reduce heat to medium low. Braise, turning down the heat if it is bubbling too rapidly, for about 20 minutes. Uncover and add sausage, onions, beans, and thyme. Cover and continue cooking another 10 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked and potatoes are tender when a fork is inserted in them. Season to taste with salt and pepper and enjoy!