Wine & Tomato Braised Chicken

Here chicken thighs cook in a simple herb-infused tomato-and-wine sauce. The bone-in thighs give it plenty of hearty flavor, and since you cook them without the skin, it keeps the dish healthy. There’s plenty of sauce, so serve it over pappardelle or brown rice. Steamed broccoli or sautéed broccoli rabe tossed with olive oil and a splash of lemon juice complete the meal.

 

 

Wine & Tomato Braised Chicken

 

Wine & Tomato Braised Chicken

 

Prep time: 45 mins

Cook time: 3 hours

Total time: 3 hours 45 mins

Serves: 10

Ingredients

• 4 slices bacon


• 1 large onion, thinly sliced


• 4 cloves garlic, minced


• 1 teaspoon dried thyme


• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds


• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper


• 1 bay leaf


• 1 cup dry white wine (see Tip)


• 1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, with juice, coarsely chopped


• 1 teaspoon salt


• 10 bone-in chicken thighs (about 3 3/4 pounds), skin removed, trimmed


• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 4 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Crumble when cool.


2. Drain off all but 2 tablespoons fat from the pan. Add onion and cook over medium heat, stirring, until softened, 3 to 6 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, fennel seeds, pepper and bay leaf and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add wine, bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits. Add tomatoes and their juice and salt; stir well.


3. Place chicken thighs in a 4-quart (or larger) slow cooker. Sprinkle the bacon over the chicken. Pour the tomato mixture over the chicken. Cover and cook until the chicken is very tender, about 3 hours on High or 6 hours on Low. Remove the bay leaf. Serve sprinkled with parsley.


4. Variation: Turn 2 cups each of leftover chicken and sauce into Braised Chicken Gumbo. Heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 diced medium red or green bell pepper and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour and cook, stirring, until the pepper is beginning to soften and the flour is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add 2 cups shredded chicken, 2 cups sauce, 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, 1 cup sliced okra (fresh or frozen, thawed), 3/4 cup instant brown rice (see Tip) and 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the flavors meld and the okra is tender, about 10 minutes.

 

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Wine & Tomato Braised Chicken