Boiled potatoes and sour cream are a classic Eastern European combination, but this recipe takes the idea a step further to produce a rich, full-flavored main course that is especially great in winter. Serve with a light salad and rice or crisp bread.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

　　3 tablespoons butter or extra virgin olive oil

　　1 chicken, 3 to 4 pounds, cut into serving pieces, or 2 1/2 to 3 pounds chicken parts, trimmed of excess fat

　　4 garlic cloves, minced

　　1/2 cup chopped fresh scallion, plus more for garnish

　　1/2 cup chopped fresh dill leaves, plus more for garnish

　　1/4 cup sour cream

　　

Step 1

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Add the potatoes and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.

　　

Step 2

Meanwhile, put the butter in a deep skillet or flameproof casserole, preferably nonstick. Turn the heat to medium-high and wait a minute or so, until the butter melts. Add the chicken, skin side down, and brown it well, rotating and turning the pieces as necessary, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside. Drain all but 3 tablespoons of the fat.

　　

Step 3

Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the garlic, scallion, and dill. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is softened and the mixture fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the potatoes to the skillet and stir to coat with the herb mixture; add the chicken pieces and stir again. Turn the heat to low and stir in the sour cream.

　　

Step 4

Season to taste with salt and pepper and simmer very gently for another 10 minutes. Garnish with scallion and dill and serve.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.