Crispy Braised Chicken Thighs Recipe with Fennel, Olives and Lemon
04. Dec, 2009 
5 Comments
After reading several rave reviews of Thomas Keller’s new book Ad Hoc at Home, I was trying to resists until Christmas but when I saw it for sale at Costco, I snatched it up.
I took Ad Hoc home, curled up on the couch and flipped through it. It certainly is a satisfying read, and one where I feel like I am learning but that the food is still simple enough to be approachable. You see Keller is famous for his work on The French Laundry and Bouchon, which don’t fall into my rustic, simple, home cooking philosophy. But Ad Hoc does.
I had a few friends coming over for dinner so I decided to try this braised chicken recipe on them. I loved the sound of the extra crispy skin, and it seemed like something which you could make partially ahead. The chicken was certainly delicious, perfectly crispy but still moist and tender. The sauce with the fennel and olives was light and flavourful. But what I liked most was the technique I learned while cooking this dish. I think there will be variations of braised but crispy chicken in my future, and yours.
Oh, and the recipe for Pork Belly? We have a date.
Crispy Braised Chicken Thighs Recipe with Fennel, Olives and Lemon
(serves 3-6)
Adapted from Ad Hoc at Home, full recipe available here.
2 small fennel bulbs
6 chicken thighs, bone-in & skin on
salt
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 onion, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 green olives such as Cerignola
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
the zest of one lemon
1 bay leaf
4 fresh thyme sprigs
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
a handful fresh parsley leafs
Preheat oven to 375F. Set a cooling rack on top of a cookie sheet. Cut off the fennel stalks and discard the fronds. Trim off the bottom and cut the fennel in quarters. Core the fennel. Remove the layers of the fennel and chop into 1/2″ thin slices.
Pat chicken dry and sprinkle with salt. Heat a large oven-proof skillet to medium high heat and add canola oil. Add thighs skin side down and cook until lightly browned, about 5-10 minutes. Flip chicken and cook for another minute. Remove chicken from the pan and place on prepared cooling rack.
Reduce heat to medium low and pour off excess oil, you only need a teaspoon. Add onion and saute for 1 minute. Add garlic and continue sweating, stirring regularly until onion is translucent, about 5 more minutes. Add fennel to the pan and turn heat back up to medium. Stirring frequently cook until fennel is tender but still has a bite. About 10-15 minutes.
Add olive, red pepper flakes, bay leaf and zest and cook for 1 minute. Add wine and simmer for two minutes to reduce. Add chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Nestle chicken back into the pan so it is sitting on top of fennel skin side up, and just 1/4 submerged.
Put pan in oven and back until chicken is cooked through 20-25 minutes. Give the chicken a baste with the juices, turn on the broiler, and while watching broil for an extra minute or two to get the skin extra crispy and browned. Remove thyme sprigs, stir in parsley and serve.
Similar Recipes:
Braised Chicken Thighs with Bacon and Olives
Chicken Thighs with Herbs, White Wine and Lemon
Chicken Thighs with Mushrooms and Parsley
Chicken Thighs with Tomatoes, Zucchini and Basil
Originally started as a way to document and learn to cook, the site chronicles my journey as I learn a few new things, create recipes, and have a disaster or two.
Sounds like another cookbook I need!
Looks beautiful. I'm curious about that book–I'll have to check it out. This is definitely the kind of recipe I would make. Looking forward to your pork belly post!
What a beautiful dish! I love the flavor combination, so I'll definitely be trying this.
I second Hungry Dog–can't wait for the pork belly post!
Kate,
We ate at adhoc last year and it was simple tasty and wonderful.
Thanks for pointing out this new book to me.
Chester
Katerina,
I’ve been traveling with my daughter and grandson for the past ten days and home tonight to cook dinner for my very deprived-feeling husband and decided to check your blog first before searching all my magazines and the internet for ideas. I remembered how much I liked your chicken thighs with mushrooms recipe that I made before, and have decided on this one for tonight because for some reason we never ate chicken at all during the trip. I love fennel in almost anything. Isn’t Thomas Keller the owner/chef of Per Se in NYC too? I have been there twice; very, very expensive but very, very good. Thanks again for your lovely photos and ideas. Carole