Braising has to be one of our favorite cooking applications. It’s nearly foolproof; all you have to do is check on it once in a while to make sure the liquid hasn’t burned off, and as long as you succeed there, the end result is always perfectly tender and flavorful meat. Add in the fact that it’s a one pot endeavor, and we just don’t see how there’s much room for improvement.
While there is no end to the combinations of liquids and flavors that you can use when you’re braising, we have to say that a basic white wine and stock combo is really hard to beat. It works so well here with the earthy mushrooms and fragrant rosemary and thyme. The moist chicken and savory sauce go fabulously served over egg noodles or mashed potatoes or even some creamy polenta.
INGREDIENTS
2 lbs bone in, skin on chicken thighs
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 pound small mushrooms
2-4 cups chicken stock
1 cup dry white wine
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
Extra virgin olive oil, as needed
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
PREPARATION
Coat the bottom of a large heavy-bottomed skillet with olive oil and set the pan over medium-high heat.
Pat the chicken dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Coat each piece of chicken in flour, shaking off excess.
Place chicken in the skillet, skin side down, taking care not to crowd pan. When skin is brown and crispy, turn the chicken and sear on the other side. Once browned, remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
Lower the heat to medium and the onions to the pan. Cook until onions begin to soften and turn translucent, 6-8 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional minute.
Add mushrooms, cooking until they start to release their juice, 3-5 minutes. Stir in the wine, scraping up bits stuck to bottom of skillet. Allow wine to simmer and reduce for 2-3 minutes.
Return the chicken to the pan. Add chicken stock to almost cover chicken, then add thyme and rosemary. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
Simmer uncovered until chicken is cooked through and sauce has reduced, 30-35 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper as needed. Serve, and enjoy!
Adapted from Honest Cooking.