Butter-Braised Chicken with Spring Veggies

serves 4–6
Part of the mission for this season’s recipes was to find different uses for radishes. We had only really eaten them raw, so we thought roasting or braising them might be a good option, especially for people who don't really enjoy radishes’ spiciness. Using them in this recipe really helped to add a dash of spring to a dish that could get too heavy if you’re not careful.

2 tsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 lb. chicken (pieces or half a chicken)
salt and black pepper
3 medium leeks, white and light green parts halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, sliced
8 radishes, quartered
1½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
5 stalks asparagus, chopped large
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. minced fresh rosemary
2 tsp. minced fresh thyme

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and swirl to coat. Season the chicken with 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Lower the heat to medium, add butter and stir to melt. Cook chicken skin-side down, until golden brown, 8–10 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Add the leeks, garlic, and radishes to the Dutch oven. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the leeks and radishes are just tender, 6–8 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a simmer.

Nestle the chicken in the veggies, skin-side up; cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Toss asparagus on top, cover, and cook another 5–7 minutes until an instant-read thermo meter inserted into the thickest piece of chicken registers 165°. Stir the lemon juice and herbs into the sauce and serve.