A Cozy Chicken Braise

with dates and rosemary and charred onions

It’s a weird time, and I don’t think I’m alone when I say I’ve been feeling some heavy unease with the state of the world. It’s getting dark in what feels like the middle of the day, it’s been unseasonably warm, and oh yeah, Trump was elected president again. I know it sounds trite, but I’ll say it anyway: in these moments it can be so comforting to turn to the kitchen, to focus on small tasks and small questions, like “what’s for dinner?” and “how should I cook this?” So for now, that’s what I’m here to do. And the answers are: maybe chicken, and maybe let’s braise it.

The method here is simple, and probably not foreign to many of you. It starts with searing bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs until the skin is deeply golden brown and gives up all of its tasty schmaltz. Then you cook some aromatics in that rendered fat, build a flavorful braising liquid, and and gently cook the chicken until it’s oh-so-juicy and tender.

This braise gets flavor from charred onions, which bring caramelized complexity, garlic for some savoriness, Medjool dates for sweetness, vinegar for brightness, and rosemary for an earthy woodsiness that I find so comforting this time of year. That said, if you’re not a rosemary person, fresh thyme or oregano would work great, too.  If you’ve never had dates in a savory, meaty context, you’re in for a real treat. The dried fruit becomes a plump, jammy sponge for this savory, tangy pan sauce.

This can be a cozy weeknight dinner with mashed or roasted potatoes or some rice, or just a fresh baguette and a salad. But a simple braised chicken dish is also a great thing to make make if you have a few people coming over for dinner, since it scales up easily and the bulk of the work can happen long before you eat. You can set up your braise and tuck it into the oven, all still with time to hop in the shower, open a bottle of light red, and put out some olives and cheese. At which point, your house will smell incredible. If you’re hosting Friendsgiving this weekend, this could even make a fun main for those who want to save turkey for next Thursday.

This cooking method leaves lots of room to play. You can add wedges of fennel, cabbage, or baby gold potatoes alongside the onions. Maybe you add chili flakes or fennel seeds or lemon peel along with the garlic, or tuck in some miso paste or Dijon or chopped Calabrian chilies with the vinegar. You can even throw in a can of chickpeas or a cup of grains to cook in the braising liquid along with the chicken.

Happy braising, more soon,

Megan

Chicken Thighs with Dates & Rosemary

Serves 4

3 to 4 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken leg quarters, thighs, or a mix of thighs and drumsticks (you can also use bone-in skin-on breasts, but they just won’t be as tender!)

1 tablespoon neutral oil

Kosher salt

2 red onions, cut into 1-inch wedges

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

Freshly ground black pepper

6 Medjool dates, torn in half and pitted

3 to 4 sprigs fresh rosemary

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1 to 1 1/2 cups chicken stock or water

1. Season the chicken generously on all sides with salt and let it sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before you cook it. (If you can season the chicken and leave it uncovered in the fridge for a few hours or overnight before cooking, even better.)

2. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Heat a cast iron skillet, a heavy-bottomed skillet with a lid, or Dutch oven over medium high heat for 1 minute and pat the chicken skin dry with a paper towel. Add the oil to the preheated pan. When the oil shimmers, add the chicken. Sear the chicken until the skin is deeply golden brown and the fat has rendered, a good 8 to 10 minutes on that first side. If the chicken doesn’t release from the pan easily, give it more time! If it does, you can rotate the pieces a bit as they cook for even browning. Once super golden on the first side, flip and sear on the other side for 2 to 3 minutes. Then transfer the chicken to a plate. (If there are more than 2 to 3 tablespoons of chicken fat in your skillet, you can pour some of the fat off.) 

3. Add the onion wedges to the skillet and leave undisturbed until the onions are deeply caramelized and charred on that first side, about 5 minutes. Flip the onions and cook for a few minutes on the other side. Then lower the heat to medium low, add the garlic, and season with salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring, until the garlic is tender and fragrant. Add the rosemary sprigs and dates and saute for another minute or so. Add the vinegar and stir to scrape up any bits that may be stuck to the bottom of the pan. Then add 1 cup of the stock or water and nestle the chicken pieces back into the pan, along with any juices that have accumulated the plate. The liquid should submerge about 2/3 of the chicken thighs, leaving the skin exposed; add a splash more as needed. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then cover the pan and transfer to the oven for 30 minutes or so.

4. Remove the lid, increase the oven temperature to 425°F and roast for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the skins are slightly crisp again and the pan juices have reduced a bit. Serve the chicken with jammy dates, onions, and pan juices spooned over top. If you would like a thicker sauce, you can transfer the chicken to a plate and then reduce the pan juices over medium-high heat to the desired thickness.