​Braised Chicken with Carrots

Use up your leeks, carrots, and celery with this absolutely delicious chicken recipe. If you feel weird about the loose coriander seeds, you can use ground or put the seeds into your spice bag in with the other herbs. 

¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 thyme sprigs
1 rosemary sprig
1 whole clove
1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces, rinsed and patted dry
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 ½ teaspoons ground black pepper
¼ cup (4 tablespoons) extra virgin olive oil
4 large leeks, halved lengthwise, cleaned and thinly sliced crosswise
3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
1 pound carrots, peeled, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
1 celery stick, diced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds
1 cup dry white wine
 About 2 cups chicken stock
1 to 2 tablespoons grainy Dijon mustard, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or celery leaves, for garnish
 Buttered noodles, for serving (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place flour in a shallow bowl. Tie thyme, rosemary and clove in a spice sachet or square of cheesecloth.
Season chicken pieces all over with salt and pepper. Coat each piece evenly with flour; tap off excess. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large oven-proof Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear in batches, until browned all over, 5 to 6 minutes a side. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.
Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pot; reduce heat to medium. Add leeks and 2 tablespoons sage and cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the carrots, celery, garlic, coriander, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until vegetables begin to color, about 5 minutes.
Add wine and increase heat to high; simmer, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pot, until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Return rabbit to pot. Add stock (it should come almost halfway up the sides of chicken pieces) and herb sachet (or herbs and clove). Transfer pot to oven and cook, partially covered, until meat is fork tender, about 2 hours.
Transfer rabbit pieces to a serving platter. If the liquid seems too thin, place the pot over medium-high heat and simmer until it thickens slightly. Discard sachet. Stir in mustard, to taste. Spoon sauce and vegetables over chicken. Garnish with parsley and celery leaves and remaining 1 tablespoon chopped sage. Serve with noodles, if desired.