Provençale Braised Chicken Thighs with Olives

Comfort foods are desired during winter as we gather out of the cold darkness outside. My favorite comfort foods are almost always braised, a two-step browning process, then simmering in a liquid. This braised dish also uses seasonal citrus fruits and jars of olives. I recently served this to a neighbor who loved this dish. I think you will too!

6 servings

INGREDIENTS:

Kosher salt

6 chicken thighs with bones and skin

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt to taste

6 garlic cloves, peeled, minced

1 teaspoon herbs de Provence

½ teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed

2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced

1 cup chicken broth

1 orange, cut into 6 wedges

1 lemon, cut into 6 wedges

½ cup kalamata olives

½ cup green olives

2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

1.     Upon bringing the chicken thighs home from the grocery store, open the package(s), pat dry the thighs, and liberally salt both sides. Place them in a baking dish, and cover them in the refrigerator until ready to cook (preferably overnight for up to three days).

2.     Preheat oven to 375°F. Pat the chicken thighs dry—season with kosher salt on both sides.

3.     Heat the oil in a skillet; when the oil shimmers, add the chicken thighs skin side down. When brown, turn over and brown the other side. Drain the excess fat from the pan. Add the garlic, herbs de Provence, fennel seeds, and rosemary, sautéing until fragrant, about thirty seconds to a minute. Deglaze with the chicken broth.

4.     Distribute the orange wedges, lemon wedges, and olives around the pan. Cover tightly with a lid and place in the oven. Braise until the meat is done and tender, about one hour. Remove from the oven.

5.     Arrange the thighs, olives, lemons, and half of the oranges on a serving dish and cover it while making the sauce.

6.     Place the pan over high heat. Squeeze the juice from the other half of the oranges into the pan juices. Reduce until syrupy. Pour over the chicken thighs. Garnish with parsley and serve hot.

Note: The first step of salting the chicken will ensure that the chicken will stay fresh until you are ready to cook them, and it will make the chicken very tender after cooking.

Provençale Braised Chicken Thighs with Olives

Provençale Braised Chicken Thighs with Olives
Yield: 6 servings
Author:
Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 1 H & 20 MInactive time: 12 HourTotal time: 13 H & 40 M
Comfort foods are desired during winter as we gather out of the cold darkness outside. My favorite comfort foods are almost always braised, a two-step browning process, then simmering in a liquid. This braised dish also uses seasonal citrus fruits and jars of olives. I recently served this to a neighbor who loved this dish. I think you will too!

Ingredients

  • Kosher salt
  • 6 chicken thighs with bones and skin
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 6 garlic cloves, peeled, minced
  • 1 teaspoon herbs de Provence
  • ½ teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
  • 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 orange, cut into 6 wedges
  • 1 lemon, cut into 6 wedges
  • ½ cup kalamata olives
  • ½ cup green olives
  • 2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped

Instructions

  1. Upon bringing the chicken thighs home from the grocery store, open the package(s), pat dry the thighs, and liberally salt both sides. Place them in a baking dish, and cover them in the refrigerator until ready to cook (preferably overnight for up to three days).
  2. Preheat oven to 375°F. Pat the chicken thighs dry—season with kosher salt on both sides.
  3. Heat the oil in a skillet; when the oil shimmers, add the chicken thighs skin side down. When brown, turn over and brown the other side. Drain the excess fat from the pan. Add the garlic, herbs de Provence, fennel seeds, and rosemary, sautéing until fragrant, about thirty seconds to a minute. Deglaze with the chicken broth.
  4. Distribute the orange wedges, lemon wedges, and olives around the pan. Cover tightly with a lid and place in the oven. Braise until the meat is done and tender, about one hour. Remove from the oven.
  5. Arrange the thighs, olives, lemons, and half of the oranges on a serving dish and cover it while making the sauce.
  6. Place the pan over high heat. Squeeze the juice from the other half of the oranges into the pan juices. Reduce until syrupy. Pour over the chicken thighs. Garnish with parsley and serve hot.

Notes

The first step of salting the chicken will ensure that the chicken will stay fresh until you are ready to cook them, and it will make the chicken very tender after cooking.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

345.19

Fat (grams)

27.1

Sat. Fat (grams)

6.18

Carbs (grams)

6.85

Fiber (grams)

2

Net carbs

4.82

Sugar (grams)

2.82

Protein (grams)

19.51

Sodium (milligrams)

617.58

Cholesterol (grams)

111.52

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.

Provencal, chicken thighs, olives, oranges, lemons
entree, main dish
French
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Linda Hierholzer