Braised Chicken Thighs with Mushrooms and Dried Figs
Easy braised chicken, seasoned with a Mediterranean rosemary spice mixture and cooked in a flavorful sauce with red wine, shallots, and mushrooms. Dried figs or apricots add a hint of sweetness, but not at all overwhelming.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
For the Spice Mixture
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
For the Chicken
- 8 bone in skin on chicken thighs
- Kosher salt
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 7 shallots, peeled and halved from top to bottom
- 10 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup (2 ounces) tomato paste
- 3/4 cup dry red or white wine (I used red)
- 2 cups homemade chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 3 ounces dried figs or apricots, halved (I used figs)
- 12 ounces white or Baby Bella mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and halved
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- Fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Get ready. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Make the spice mixture. In a small bowl, stir together the rosemary, paprika, coriander, black pepper, allspice, and nutmeg.
- Season the chicken. Pat the chicken very dry with paper towels and season well with salt on both sides. Rub the spice mixture on both sides, making sure to lift skin up and rub some of the spice mixture underneath. Set aside for 20 minutes, or refrigerate uncovered for 2 hours if you have the time.
- Render the chicken skin. Coat a large braiser or Dutch oven in a thin layer of olive oil (1 to 2 tablespoons) and set over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering (but before smoking), add the chicken, skin side down, and cook undisturbed for 8 minutes until the skin releases from the pan and turns golden brown, lowering the heat if it starts to smoke excessively.
- Flip. Turn chicken over and brown on the other side briefly, about 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate for now (you will cook it through later).
- Make an aromatic braising liquid. To the pot, add the shallots and garlic. Cook briefly, stirring over medium heat until softened and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, wine, broth, bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon dried rosemary. Season with a pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer, and bubble until the liquid is just slightly reduced, about 4 minutes.
- Return the chicken to the pan. Carefully nestle chicken into the liquid, making sure the liquid covers only 3/4 of the chicken thighs, leaving the skins exposed. Add the figs (or apricots) and bring to a simmer.
- Braise the chicken. Transfer chicken to the oven and cook, uncovered, until totally tender and the liquid has reduced by about half, about 40-45 minutes (you will add mushrooms at the 30 minute mark). Check half way through to be sure liquid is okay, you should still have some liquid in the end (add a splash more hot broth or water if necessary).
- Meanwhile, sauté the mushrooms. Coat a small non-stick pan in a thin layer of olive oil and heat over medium-high. Add the mushrooms and stir until they release their liquid and turn golden brown, about 7 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Finish the chicken. About 10 minutes before the chicken has finished cooking, carefully add the sauteed mushrooms to the pan. Return to the oven for those last 10 minutes.
- Garnish and serve. Finish with lemon juice and a garnish of fresh parsley. Serve immediately, scooping the pan sauce over top.
Notes
- Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including the olive oil and spices used in this recipe.
- Chicken is fully cooked when its internal temperature at the thickest part reaches 165°F.
- Serve with: Something to soak up the tasty sauce, like Lebanese rice, couscous or focaccia.
- To achieve extra crispy skin, be sure to pat the chicken very dry and resist the temptation to move the chicken before the skin is nice and golden brown. Make sure the skin does not soak in the liquid when you return it to the pan. (If there is too much liquid, continue simmering it for a few more minutes.
- Leftovers are glorious! Simply refrigerate in a glass container with a tight lid for 2 to 4 days. Or you can freeze in a freezer-safe container until a later time. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- To reheat: place in a baking dish, add a little liquid (broth or water) to the bottom, not covering the chicken fully. Bake in a medium heated oven until warmed through.
Nutrition
Calories: 413.8kcal | Carbohydrates: 17.5g | Protein: 27.6g | Fat: 24.8g | Saturated Fat: 6.7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10.2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 141.6mg | Sodium: 201.5mg | Potassium: 776.1mg | Fiber: 3.1g | Sugar: 9.1g | Vitamin A: 368.7IU | Vitamin C: 9.4mg | Calcium: 58.3mg | Iron: 2.4mg
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