Braised Chicken Thighs with Citrus and Olives
A terrific dish for a dinner party, since you can make it entirely ahead of time. Feel free to vary the type of whole citrus slices you use, such as blood oranges, limes, and Meyer lemons. A nice pinch of saffron along with 1 chopped tomato is a tasty variation that gives the dish a distinctive Spanish flair.
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 3 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 large navel or cara cara orange, cut into ¼-inch-thick rounds (including peel)
- 1 large lemon, cut into ¼-ich-thick rounds (including peel)
- Juice of 1 lemon
- ⅔ cup pitted briny green or kalamata olives
- ½ cup dry white wine
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
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Season the chicken with 1 ½ teaspoons salt and a generous shower of freshly ground black pepper. Do this up to two days ahead, if you have the time, and store uncovered in the fridge.
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Heat the olive oil over medium-high in a heavy skillet (ideally large enough to hold all the chicken thighs in one layer). Brown the chicken on both sides until deeply golden, about 7 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
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Drop the heat to medium and add the onions. Sauté until tender and translucent, 8 minutes. Add the garlic, orange and lemon slices, lemon juice, olives, wine, and remaining 1/2 tsp salt. Stir. Nestle the chicken thighs into the pan, adding any juices that have collected on the plate. Cover tightly with aluminum foil or a lid.
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Put in the oven and cook until the chicken is tender enough to pull away from the bone with ease, about 30 minutes. The chicken can rest, covered in the pan, for a good 20 minutes before serving.