Talk about impressive – this dish will score you major points in the presentation AND flavor categories. If you pat the chicken thighs nice and dry with paper towels before roasting, they end up the most beautiful golden brown, and the skin is absolutely crisp and delicious while the chicken underneath stays super juicy… If only it were more acceptable in this country for women to have plump, juicy thighs like these…deep thoughts. Be sure and serve the chicken atop the sauce so the skin stays nice and crisp – you don’t want to cover up these beauties. Speaking of sauce, this one is so rich and satisfying, thanks to the cremini’s and red wine. The addition of the nicoise olives and brine at the end lends the perfect balance of saltiness, bitterness and even a bit of fruitiness that gives the sauce a lovely depth of flavor. We suggest serving with dressed (olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt work just fine) mixed greens.
Tip: This recipe yields plenty of sauce, so we freeze the extra and serve over pasta for a quick dinner down the road.
Nicoise olives aren’t easy to find, but we feel like they’re worth it due to their more delicate flavor (compared to kalamata’s). We find ours in the olive bar of the grocery store, and our A.J.’s almost always has them. San Marzano canned tomatoes really do taste better to us and we use them in most dishes that call for canned tomatoes, but especially those where tomato flavor is kind of the main event, as it is here. They are supposed to have fewer seeds and be less acidic and more robust in flavor, having grown from a specific variety of seed (unsponsored).
Have your kids help you pat the chicken dry and remove the leaves from the rosemary sprigs (make sure to have them breath in the rosemary deeply and discuss it’s beautiful aroma! You will be creating a memory and your kids will remember cooking with mom and/or dad when they smell rosemary throughout their lives). As you prepare and enjoy this meal with your family, teach them about some of the health benefits of some of the ingredients:
- Cremini mushrooms help keep your white blood cells healthy, which keeps you from getting sick.
- Canned tomatoes have lots of vitamin K, which helps keep your bones strong.
- Olives are super high in antioxidants, which help keep your body “clean” from harmful toxins.
A few facts about Italy and it’s people:
- Italy has 2 active volcanos and both are near big cities. It is pretty scary that they could erupt at any time!
- There are lots and lots of old people in Italy. Like a lot.
- Christopher Columbus was Italian.
Adapted from: Chicken with Cacciatore Sauce
- 8 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (about 2½ pounds)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 3 slices raw bacon, chopped
- ¼ medium onion
- 4 ounces cremini mushrooms (about 2 cups)
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 28 -ounce can whole San Marzano tomatoes
- ¼ cup dry red wine
- ⅓ cup pitted nioise or kalamata olives, plus 1 tablespoon brine from the jar
- Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 475 degrees F. Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Place skin-side up in a shallow baking pan and roast until the skin is golden brown and the chicken is cooked through, about 35 minutes.
- Meanwhile, pulse the bacon, onion, mushrooms and rosemary in a food processor until finely chopped. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable mixture and ¼ teaspoon salt; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes.
- Puree the tomatoes in the food processor. Add the wine to the skillet and boil, uncovered, until almost completely reduced, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the pureed tomatoes and return to a boil. Reduce the heat, partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Stir in the olives and brine and season with salt and pepper. Serve the chicken with the sauce.
Leave a Reply