The second reason is that braising involves a one-two punch of searing and then simmering, which makes the chicken moist, tender, and very flavorful.  For this dish, chicken thighs and drumsticks are seared in ghee and then simmered with mushrooms, leeks, thyme, and chicken stock.  To add an extra level of flavor and color, fresh scallions and lemon juice are added at the end, and then the whole pan goes under the broiler to crisp up the chicken a bit and gently wilt the scallions.

The last reason I find this dish so delicious is that it has leeks, shiitake mushrooms, and scallions in it. I've been using shiitake mushrooms in everything lately, and find the flavor and texture far superior to all the other mushrooms I've tried (except perhaps truffles, but they don't really count).  Leeks and scallions are both under-appreciated spring vegetables that provide wonderful layers of rich and savory flavor.  I was especially excited to showcase scallions as a legitimate vegetable in this dish, since they're so often relegated to a mere garnish.

Speaking of garnishes, here's one more reason to love this: if you're feeling enterprising (and/or guilty about discarding your leek leaves), you can use the green part of a leek to make a bouquet garni or two.  A bouquet garni makes a great garnish, although it's really designed to be thrown into a pot of soup or stock to add flavor throughout cooking.  I had fun making my bouquet garni while the chicken was simmering, but if you're on top of your game and plan ahead, you can throw one into this dish when you add the stock.  It's barely a recipe, but I'm sharing how I made my bouquet garni underneath the braised chicken recipe at the bottom of this post.