Braised Chicken, Tomatoes and Bacon
Here, chicken thighs are slowly cooked in a flavorful sauce of white wine, tomatoes, oregano and red pepper flakes to create a comforting one-dish meal.
Ingredients:
- 4 thick-cut bacon slices, chopped
- 6 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs, about 2 lb. total
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1 Tbs. chopped fresh oregano
- 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1 can (14 1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes with juice
Directions:
Cook the bacon
In a large fry pan over medium heat, cook the bacon, turning often, until crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a small plate. Drain off all but 2 Tbs. of the drippings from the pan.
Brown the chicken
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Return the pan to medium-high heat, add the chicken and cook, turning once or twice, until golden brown on both sides, about 8 minutes total. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and sauté until softened, about 4 minutes.
Braise the chicken
Pour in the wine and stir to scrape up the browned bits from the pan bottom. Stir in the oregano, red pepper flakes and tomatoes and their juice. Return the chicken and any juices from the plate to the pan, cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the chicken is cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. Uncover the pan, increase the heat to medium-high, bring to a simmer and stir in the bacon. Transfer the chicken to individual plates, top with the sauce and serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Food Made Fast Series, Simple Suppers, by Melanie Barnard (Oxmoor House, 2007).