– This chicken putach recipe is a perfect rustic braise, flavorful and satisfying beyond belief –

When I reviewed Georgia Pellegrini’s Girl Hunter the other day, I wondered whether I should include a recipe with the review. Georgia’s recipes are inspired, to be sure, but they’re pretty, well, wild, and I wasn’t sure everyday home cooks would be interested in the recipes she’d included in Girl Hunter. Have you ever cooked elk? Or boar? Or squirrel?

Thankfully, Georgia includes lots of alternatives for her recipes, which makes them very accessible for regular folks like you and me that might not have, you know, half an elk in the freezer. Given that Girl Hunter is heavily laden with recipes – some chapters have as many as six or seven – it makes sense to offer a few alternative proteins that would appeal to non-hunting readers.

The dish that captivated me the most also happened to be the simplest: a rustic putach recipe that calls for onions, garlic, vinegar, and squirrel. Given that I don’t have a hoard of yard rodents in the fridge, I opted to use one of her alternates. Georgia suggested rabbit, which to the average palate is similar in taste and texture to chicken thighs, so I used that instead.

This putach recipe is incredibly comforting. It’s tart and garlicky and rich, with a tough of sweetness thanks to fresh rosemary. I prefer it served over a big bowl of brown rice, though you could make it with any number of carby bases such as quinoa, egg noodles, or regular white rice. If you want to serve it on its own, pick up a loaf of crust bread to soak up the lovely braising liquid. You’ll be a happy camper, I promise!

And if you’d really like to make it with squirrel, please let me know how it tastes! I’m infinitely curious.

Chicken Putach Recipe

Author: Georgia Pellegrini, Girl Hunter

Servings: 4

Course: Entree

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 30 mins

Cook Time: 2 hrs

Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins

Nutrition Facts

Chicken Putach Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 430 Calories from Fat 306

% Daily Value*

Fat 34g52%

Saturated Fat 8g50%

Polyunsaturated Fat 6g

Monounsaturated Fat 18g

Cholesterol 113mg38%

Sodium 138mg6%

Potassium 372mg11%

Carbohydrates 7g2%

Fiber 1g4%

Protein 24g48%

Vitamin A 250IU5%

Vitamin C 9.9mg12%

Calcium 50mg5%

Iron 2.2mg12%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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This putach recipe was originally made with squirrel, but you can just as easily make it with chicken, like I originally did. I recommend using chicken dark meat. The original recipe appeared in Girl Hunter, by Georgia Pellerini.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 large onion, roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs, cut in half with a meat cleaver
• 5 cloves of garlic, unpeeled
• Salt
• Freshly-ground black pepper
• 2/3 cups white vinegar
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 4 portions cooked pasta or rice

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pot over low heat. Add the onion and sprinkle with a little salt. Sweat the onions until they are translucent, about 15 minutes.
2. Add the chicken and garlic cloves, browning slowly for about 10 minutes. Season liberally with salt and pepper.
3. Add vinegar, water, and rosemary. Cover the pot with foil and cook slowly over low heat for 2 hours. When the meat is tender and falling off the bone, the dish is done. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Serve with over pasta or rice.

This content was originally posted on FearlessFresh.com.