Looking for a little inspiration for cooking up the pasture-raised chicken in your Moink Box? Look no further than these mouthwatering Braised Chicken Thighs by Helga Brandt (@HungryBelgian)! Packed with color and flavor, this meal is hearty, healthy, and oh so heavenly.
Oh, and did we mention this dish also involves our pasture-raised bacon? Yep, you’re gonna want to add this one into your regular dinner rotation!
INGREDIENTS
- 6-8 Moink bone-in/skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 large fennel bulb
- 6 slices of Moink bacon
- 1 cup of broccoli florets
- 2 small/medium shallots
- 6 medium multi-colored heirloom carrots
- 1 cup of Chardonnay
- 1 cup of chicken stock
- 2 Tbsp of chopped fresh basil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 Tbsp of real butter
PREPARATION
- Slice bacon into small strips (“lardons”)
- Dice shallots into medium-size dice
- Quarter fennel, core each quarter, then slice each quarter in half again
- Peel carrots and slice into large chunks on the diagonal
- Measure out 1 cup of Chardonnay + 1 cup of stock
- Dry chicken thighs well, season with salt and pepper
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
- In a heavy, oven-proof cast iron braiser or deep skillet, over medium-high heat, render bacon strips until cooked through but not crisp. Set aside, but leave bacon fat in the pan.
- Place chicken thighs skin side down in the bacon fat until the skin is browned and crisp. Once placed in the pan, avoid moving the thighs around so they can crisp.
- When the chicken skin is nice & golden brown, take the thighs out of the skillet and set aside. They will not be cooked through yet, but you will braise them fully later.
- Turn the cooking flame to medium-low. In the same skillet with the rendered bacon fat, and now chicken bits, add shallots and sauté until glassy. Add sliced carrots, cooked bacon, Chardonnay and stock, and scrape all tasty bits off of the bottom of the pan as much as possible. Add butter and stir into the pan juices. Taste the juices and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Nestle the chicken thighs, skin side up, in the pan, making sure the chicken skin remains exposed and dry. The braising liquid should cover the thighs half-way, or just to about skin level. If it doesn’t, add a little more stock. Arrange the fennel quarters in between the chicken.
- In a separate pot (or in the microwave), steam broccoli florets until tender (‘al dente’) and bright green, approximately 5 minutes or so. Set aside. You will be placing them back in the pan during the last 5 minutes of the braising time.
- Cover the pan and place the chicken in a 375°F oven for approximately 20 minutes. Take the lid off the pot, add steamed broccoli florets in between the chicken and increase the temperature to 450°F. Return to the oven for another 5 minutes.
- When the chicken skin is fully crisped, remove from the oven and sprinkle chopped fresh basil on top.
Serve and enjoy!
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