CTB 2014 - The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook

Two recipe posts in one week? This is crazy!

To tell the truth, I made this chicken to accompany the asparagus from Tuesday. Would I do that pairing again? No way. There was way too much sauce preparation that was necessary for both dishes. When I cook this chicken again (which I will, because it was amazing), it's getting paired with steamfresh vegetables from the microwave.

I will also remember that when I put pans in the oven, the handle of the pan also gets hot. I think that I need to buy one of these pan handle covers, because I always grab the handle and burn my hand. I don't do this to pull the pan out of the oven, I realize that it's warm at that point. It's after I return the pan to the burner and begin reducing the sauce. I'll grab the handle to rotate the pan and Yeouch! That's hot!

Burnt hand or not, this chicken was the perfect dinner. I always have chicken thighs in my freezer for some reason, so this is an easy dinner for a weeknight. Pick up some grapes and olives from the grocery store and you've got yourself a flavorful meal.





One Year Ago: Peanut Butter and Banana Cupcakes
Two Years Ago: Cherry Granola Bars
Three Years Ago: Sun-dried Tomato Pasta
Four Years Ago: Spanish Chicken with Mustard and Green Onion Sauce

Harvest Chicken with Grapes, Olives and Rosemary

Barely adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 pound chicken thighs (bone-in, skin-on)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup seedless, red grapes
1 cup pitted, Kalamata olives
2 small shallots, thinly sliced
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary

Preheat oven to 450 ºF. Heat olive oil in a wide, oven-proof skillet, over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Add half of the chicken to the pan, skin side down, and let cook for about 5 minutes (skin should be golden brown and release easily from the pan). Turn chicken over and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from the pan to a fresh plate. Brown remaining chicken in the same way.

Return all chicken to the pan and set skin side up. Add grapes, olives and shallots. Put pan in the oven and roast for 25-35 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear (this is highly variable on the size of your chicken thighs).  Carefully remove pan from the oven and return to the stove top (I recommend covering the handle with a pot holder to keep from burning yourself).

Remove chicken, grapes and olives from the pan and place them on a pretty serving plate. Add white wine and chicken broth, bring to a boil. Scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan and let sauce bubble away until reduced by half. Pour sauce over the chicken and serve.