It is snowing absolute buckets right now and I can already tell that I’m not going to be going anywhere for a couple days at least. But that is quite alright with me. It is warm and cozy in here and I’m going to be making one of my favorite snow day recipes. It could not be more perfect!
This recipe for braised chicken thighs is layered with crispy chicken thighs (my favorite cut,) aromatic fennel and herbs, savory Italian sausage, and fresh, acidic tomatoes, lemon and cherry peppers.
Here’s what you need:
Avoid panic prepping by having everything ready.
Save yourself a lot of potential stress by having all your ingredients chopped, minced or measured before you even turn on the stove.
Start with browning the thighs.
Pat them dry with a paper towel to ensure nice golden, crispy skin. Season both sides with salt and place them, skin side down, in a preheated pan for a few minutes on each side to brown. Another way to ensure proper browning is to make sure each thigh has plenty of space. You will likely need to cook them in batches of 2 or 3 at a time.
Once the thighs are brown, set them aside and add the Italian sausage to the pan. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to break it apart while it browns. Next, add the sliced fennel and onion and a pinch of salt. Sauté for another few minutes. Then, add the minced garlic, thyme and chopped cherry peppers and sauté for just about a minute more. Garlic burns quickly and becomes bitter so it only needs a minute or two to sauté.
Deglaze with wine.
Use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to scrape up all the brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan from the chicken and sausage. These bits are going to become part of the sauce and make it taste amazing!
The braising liquid needs to be well seasoned.
Add the crushed tomatoes and broth then taste the braising liquid before putting the chicken back in. How well your braising liquid is seasoned is going to determine how well seasoned your chicken will be once it’s finished. If it’s bland, your chicken will be bland. So give it a taste and add more salt if it’s needed then put the browned chicken back in.
For crispy skin, braise with the lid off.
Cook on medium heat for about 45 minutes, or until the sauce is reduced and thick. You’ve already got a bottle of wine opened so pour yourself a glass and get comfortable with a book or put on a show and just enjoy all those delicious aromas coming from the kitchen!
If you would like, pop the pan under a broiler for just a bit before serving to get the skin extra crisp. Keep an eye on it as it broils because they will burn quite quickly. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice and fresh parsley.
Serve the chicken thighs and the sauce over Creamy Polenta, mashed potatoes or Fluffy Garlic and Herb Rice.
Other recipes to try:
Braised Chicken Thighs with Fennel and Sausage
Ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs bone in and skin on
- 8 oz ground italian sausage
- 1 medium yellow onion thinly sliced
- 1 fennel bulb thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp cherry peppers chopped
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 can crushed tomatoes 15 ounces
- 2 cups chicken broth
- salt to taste
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lemon
- fresh parsley roughly chopped
Instructions
- Pat thighs dry with a paper towel or kitchen towel. Sprinkle both sides of each thigh with salt. Heat a heavy bottom skillet, dutch oven or braiser to medium and add a tablespoon of olive oil. Place the chicken thighs skin side down onto the hot pan and sear until the skin is crisp and golden, 6-8 minutes. flip over and brown the other side. Cook the thighs in batches to ensure even browning. Remove thighs from the pan and add the italian sausage. Brown the sausage while breaking it up well then add the sliced onion and fennel seasoned with a pinch of salt and sauté for about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme and cherry peppers and sauté a couple minutes more. Add the wine to deglaze and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the tomatoes and broth. Taste your braising liquid before returning the chicken back to the pan to make sure it is seasoned. Add salt if needed.Return the chicken to the pan and turn the heat to medium. Braise for approximately 30-40 minutes with the lid off until the sauce has reduced and thickened. Squeeze fresh lemon juice all over the chicken and top with chopped parsley.