Recipe: Chicken fricassee with spring vegetables

Total time: About 1 hour

Servings: 4

Note: You can have your butcher cut the chicken into 8 pieces (excluding the wings, which you can reserve for another use, such as making stock).

1 whole chicken, about 4 pounds

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons good-quality olive oil

2 medium leeks, white part only, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/4 -inch slices (about 1 cup)

1 medium fennel bulb, cut crosswise into 1/4 -inch slices

3 cloves green garlic, thinly sliced

1 large sprig fresh rosemary

8 small spring onions, whole with about 2 inches of greens

8 baby carrots (assorted colors), scrubbed and halved lengthwise

1 cup fava beans, shelled

1 cup sugar snap or English peas, shelled

1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

1. Quarter the chicken, removing the wings and the back (you can reserve these for making stock) and keeping the bones intact. Cut the thighs from the legs and cut the breasts in half through the ribs; you will have eight pieces. Pat the chicken dry, then season with salt and pepper.

2. Heat the oil in a 6-quart heavy-bottom lidded casserole and brown the chicken pieces over medium-high heat, turning them over so that they brown evenly, about 15 minutes.

3. Remove and reserve the chicken. Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of excess oil from the pan. Add the leeks, fennel, garlic, rosemary and spring onions and sauté over medium heat for about 2 minutes.

4. Return the chicken to the pan, along with any accumulated juices, and add 2 1/2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover and cook until the chicken is done, about 20 minutes. Stir in the carrots during the last 15 minutes of cooking.

5. Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the favas for 1 minute then cool in an ice bath. Drain and then peel. Set aside.

6. When the chicken is cooked, remove the pieces and keep warm. Discard the rosemary. Add the peas and simmer uncovered for about a minute over medium-low heat.

7. To finish, add the favas, half of the parsley and yogurt to the pan of vegetables and broth, stirring to combine. Check for seasoning. To serve, spoon two pieces of chicken into the middle of each soup plate, then ladle the vegetables and broth around the chicken. Top with the remaining fresh parsley.

Each serving: 640 calories; 60 grams protein; 25 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams fiber; 33 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 213 mg. cholesterol; 800 mg. sodium.