To make the ragout base:

Warm the oil in a heavy 3- to 4-quart casserole or saucepan, stir in the leeks, onions, and garlic and simmer over moderately low heat for 5 minutes or more, until limp. Stir in the tomatoes, salt lightly, add 1/4 teaspoon of the herbs, cover, and simmer 10 minutes or until the tomatoes have rendered their juices and the vegetables are tender. Taste very carefully and adjust seasoning, which should be reasonably strong and gutsy. Ahead-of-time note: May be completed 2 days in advance; keep covered and refrigerated.

To finish the ragout:

Salt the chicken meat lightly and bury it in the ragout base. Bring to the simmer, cover, and simmer 5 minutes--the chicken is done when springy rather than squashy to your finger. Taste carefully and correct seasoning.

be careful not to overcook.

To serve:

Serve the chicken pieces and vegetables over boiled rice or pasta, spooning some of the cooking juices over the meat, and decorating each piece with a big bunch of parsley. Accompaniments: fresh green beans, broccoli, spinach, or a green salad served separately. A young fresh red wine like a Beaujolais, light zinfandel, or a pinot noir.

Thighs And Drumsticks With The Emphasis On Thighs

Drumsticks with thighs attached, that is often my choice at the supermarket. Although it's nice and easy to broil or roast the whole thing, I frequently like to separate the two and roast, broil, or saute' the drumsticks for one meal, and bone out the thighs for another-about the easiest boning job around.

To bone a chicken thigh: Using a paper towel, pull the skin off the thigh, and cut most of the visible fat off the meat-smallish globs of yellow clinging to the flesh. The single thigh bone with its ball joints at either end is in the center of the meat, and shows more clearly on one side than the other. Lay the thigh so the more-easily-seen bone is facing you vertically. With a small sharp knife, cut down through the meat very close against one side of the bone to remove the meat from its other side. (Save skin and bones for making your own chicken broth; see directions in the following recipe.)

You now have two delicious tender pieces of quick-cooking, juicy meat that you can season, dredge lightly in flour, and saute' for a simple snack. Or you can poach them and serve in a salad or sauce, or cut them into strips and add to a chicken soup or the makings of a pot pie. Or, here is a non-caloric Mediterranean treatment with onions, leeks, tomatoes, garlic, and herbs. Amounts: I count three thighs for 2 moderate servings.

continued in part 2