Sunday Night Dinner
One of my best friends, Matthew, recently moved into a swanky loft with high ceilings, concrete floors, an open kitchen—the whole deal. He’s started a tradition of Sunday night dinners at his new place where everyone is invited to come over, have a few drinks & enjoy whatever’s on his menu de jour. The past few weeks he’s hosted, it’s been a really lovely way to end the week & gear up for the one ahead.
Last night he made an amazing dish from Keller’s ad hoc at home: crispy braised chicken thighs with olives, lemon & fennel. By the time we arrived, Matt had already finished most of the cooking, but there were a few sous chef duties to be done. With the open space, cooking & visiting is effortless. So we finished chopping butternut squash (to roast as a sidedish), added the final seasonings to the sauce & poured drinks. The meal was superb. The meat was so tender it fell of the bone & the skin was perfectly crisped. Served in a white wine sauce with sauteed fennel, garlic, olives & onion—it was a brilliant introduction to what Keller’s book has to offer. And while we were all eating the meal together among family & friends, I thought about how Keller would probably be very proud. It was the philosophy behind his family-style cookbook actually lived out & enjoyed the way he intended it to be. Print this out & make it with your family & friends. Like, now.
Crispy Braised Chicken Thighs with Olives, Lemon & Fennel
3 fennel bulbs
12 chicken thighs
Kosher salt
Canola oil
1 c. coarsely chopped onion
1 tbs. finely chopped garlic
1/4 c. dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
1 c. Ascolane or other large green olives, such as Cerignola
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
4 fresh (or 2 dried) bay leaves
4 strips lemon zest (removed with a vegetable peeler)
8 thyme sprigs
1 c. chicken stock
1/3 c. flat-leaf parsley leaves
Cut off the fennel stalks. Trim the bottom of the bulbs and peel back the layers until you reach the core; reserve the core for another use. Discard any bruised layers, and cut the fennel into 2-by- 1/2 -inch batons. You need 3 cups of fennel for this recipe; reserve any remaining fennel for another use.
Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Set a cooling rack on a baking sheet.
Season the chicken thighs on both sides with a pinch of salt. Heat a thin layer of canola oil in a large ovenproof sauté or roasting pan that will hold all the thighs in one layer over medium-high heat. Add the thighs skin side down and lightly brown, 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the heat of the oil in the pan. Turn the thighs over and cook for about 1 minute to sear the meat. Transfer to the cooling rack.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the onion to the pan, and cook for 1 1/2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the fennel, turn the heat up to medium and cook, stirring often, until the fennel is crisp-tender, about 10 minutes.
Pour in the wine and simmer for about 2 minutes to burn off the alcohol. Stir in the olives, red pepper flakes, bay leaves, lemon zest and thyme, then pour in the chicken broth. Increase the heat, bring the liquid to a simmer, and cook until the fennel is tender, about 1 minute.
Taste the broth and season with salt as needed. Return the chicken to the pan, skin side up, in a single layer. When the liquid returns to a simmer, transfer to the oven and cook for about 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. (The meat will be firm and the juices will run clear, and a thermometer inserted should read 165 degrees.)
Turn on the broiler, and put the pan under the broiler for a minute or two to crisp and brown the chicken skin. Remove from the oven, and transfer to a serving platter. Garnish with the parsley leaves.
Boy, that looks good, Michelle! You sure are lucky to have such a great friend!
I’ve got to make that! When I saw the recipe name I thought it looked familiar. I just got the Ad Hoc book and it all looks fantastic. I definitely need to try this one. Doesn’t seem quite as complicated as some of the recipes.