Braised Chicken with Pumpkin, Sage, & Walnuts

Delicious winter dish. Pretty easy to make, yet is definitely a dish you can serve to company. The braising adds moistness and flavor. You can tweak this one quite a bit to suit your taste (add wine to the stock, more pepper, a mix of winter root vegetables instead of pumpkin, different nuts or spices, etc). Adapted from a recipe by Michael Lomonaco, chef of the former "Windows on the World" which was in one of the NYC World Trade Center towers.

• Ready In: 2 hrs
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1  small chicken or 1  medium chicken, cut into serving pieces (or your favorite mix of chicken parts)
•  salt and pepper
• 2  tablespoons olive oil
• 1  tablespoon butter
• 1⁄2 cup  diced onion
• 1  cup  diced carrot
• 2 1⁄2 cups  peeled seeded and diced pumpkin or 2 1⁄2 cups  butternut squash
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 1⁄2 cups hot chicken broth
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh sage leaves or 1  tablespoon dried sage, plus some for garnish (optional)
• 1⁄2 cup  finely chopped walnuts, plus some for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Generously sprinkle chicken on both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Over medium heat, melt olive oil and butter in a large pan that you can fit all chicken pieces in without crowding.
3. (Note: pan must have a lid) Add chicken, skin side down, and cook slowly until chicken is golden brown color.
4. Turn pieces over, add onions, carrots, and pumpkin and cook until chicken is golden brown.
5. Once the chicken is browned, let it and the vegetables cook slowly together for 5 to 7 minutes.
6. Add about 1 3/4 c of hot stock and simmer over low heat for 30-35 minutes, slightly uncovered, checking occasionally to add more stock, if needed.
7. Transfer chicken pieces to a large serving platter.
8. Add walnuts and sage to the pot and cook for two minutes.
9. Spoon vegetables onto the serving platter around the chicken, and pour the remaining sauce in the pot over the chicken.
10. Sprinkle reserved sage and walnuts over the dish to garnish.