Chicken Osso Buco

One variation of the traditional osso buco is made with veal shanks braised in a light tomato sauce with carrots, celery, and onions (Wikipedia). I don't like to cook with veal all that often (but I do enjoy it once in awhile) so when I saw this recipe for an osso buco made with chicken, I put it in my "to-make" file. And the fact that it calls for the slow cooker is even better - I assembled the ingredients in the morning and by late afternoon we were ready for a comforting and delicious dinner.

The light tomato sauce along with the blend of vegetables and herbs complimented the tender chicken very nicely. The recipe calls for drumsticks, but I used my old favorite, chicken thighs, instead. We barely needed a knife to cut the chicken, it was so tender! I halved the recipe to serve just the two of us and it worked out perfectly.

Ready to be slow cooked!

Chicken Osso Buco
from MSN Lifestyle
Makes 6 servings

12 medium chicken drumsticks (about 3 pounds)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoons finely shredded lemon peel
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
3 cups dried penne pasta
snipped fresh parsley (optional)

Remove skin from chicken. Place flour, salt, and pepper in resealable plastic bag. Add chicken, a few pieces at a time, shaking to coat.

In a 10-inch skiller, brown chicken, half at a time, in hot oil over medium heat about 10 minutes or until golden, turning once. Set aside.

In a 4- to 5-quart slow cooker, combine carrots, celery, onions, and garlic. Sprinkle with tapioca. Place chicken on top of vegetables.

In a medium bowl, stir together tomato sauce, wine, broth, lemon peel, lemon juice, and thyme; pour over chicken in cooker.

Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours or on high-heat setting for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

Prepare penne according to package directions. Drain well. Spoon chicken and sauce over pasta. Garnish with parsley if desired.