Serves 4
By using skin-on, bone-in thighs, the meat in a braise has more flavor and moisture than the skinless, boneless variety. Leviton suggests letting the chicken sit in the braising liquid in the refrigerator overnight. This lets the chicken reabsorb liquid it might have lost during cooking.
| 4 | chicken thighs |
| Salt and pepper | |
| 3 | tablespoons vegetable oil |
| 1 | onion, chopped |
| 2 | cloves garlic, finely chopped |
| ½ | cup white wine |
| 2 | bay leaves |
| 2 | tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, such as rosemary |
| 4 | cups chicken stock, or more as needed |
| 1 | tablespoon butter |
Related
1. Set the oven at 300 degrees.
2. Liberally season the thighs with salt and pepper. Heat a large flameproof casserole over medium heat. Add the oil. Place the thighs, skin down, in the pan. Cook, without moving the chicken, for 5 minutes or until browned. Turn and brown the other sides.
3. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Add the onion and garlic to the pan. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the wine, scraping the bottom of the pan. Let the wine reduce by half. Return the chicken to the pan and add the bay leaves and herbs. Add enough stock to cover the chicken. Turn the heat to high and bring the liquids to a boil. Lower the heat, cover the pan and transfer to the oven.
4. Cook for 1 to 1½ hours or until the juices of the chicken run clear when the thigh is pierced with the tip of a knife.
5. With tongs, transfer the thighs to a plate. Strain the cooking liquid into a bowl. Discard the solids. Return the liquid to the pan and bring to a boil. Let it bubble steadily until it reduces by half. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Taste for seasoning and ladle the sauce over the chicken. Adapted from Michael
Leviton