CHICKEN THIGHS WITH SHALLOTS

CHICKEN THIGHS WITH SHALLOTS

                                                       (adapted from a recipe by Rishia Zimmern/Sam Sifton, NYT)

Prep Time: 1 ½ hours

Yield: 4-6 servings

INGREDIENTS

8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat

2 Tbsp flour

1 Tbsp sea salt

1 Tbsp ground black pepper

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

12-15 whole medium shallots, peeled, remove roots, but do not remove root base
8 cloves of garlic 

2 cups white wine

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

2 sprigs tarragon (more is OK, also can use Rosemary instead)

2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half, (if using little cherry tomatoes, no need to cut in half)

PROCESS

1. Rinse chicken thighs in water, and pat them very dry with paper towels.  Sprinkle them with

     flour, salt and pepper.

2. Melt butter in large, heavy-bottomed pot or skillet (12 inch) and set over medium-high heat.   

    When butter foams, cook chicken, in batches if necessary, until well browned and crisp on all

    sides. (this can take 12-15 minutes depending on how cold the chicken is) Set aside on a platter.

3. Add whole shallots to the pot/skillet and sauté in butter and chicken fat until they begin to

    soften and caramelize, (approx. 10-12 minutes, let them darken a lot, until they are kind of gooey)

4. Add wine to deglaze the pot stirring with large spoon, then add mustard and tarragon, then

    chicken thighs.  Cover, turn heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, checking often to make sure thighs
     aren't boiling! 

5. Remove lid, and allow sauce to reduce and thicken (approx 15-20 minutes) If you remove the chicken,
    the sauce will reduce quicker. 

6. Add cherry tomatoes to the pot, stir lightly to combine and serve. 

NOTES:  This is one of the yummiest, prettiest and easiest dishes I know of to prepare.  Great company food that isn’t too expensive to do for a bigger party.  Can be made ahead and served at room temperature.  Great served with rice, a simple green salad and some cheese and fruit for a really pretty, tasty meal.  
BEN's NOTE:  Shallots can be peeled while chicken is browning, but watch the chicken closely.