This dish may sound French, but the starting point for Milk Street was the Portuguese classic called frango na púcara, or chicken in a clay pot. For quick and easy weeknight cooking, boneless, skinless chicken thighs are used instead of bone-in parts. All gets cooked in one Dutch oven on the stovetop—always a plus when it comes to clean up.
Because our chicken thighs were of two different thicknesses, I had to remove the two smaller pieces to a platter, cover with foil, and let the thicker thighs cook a few minutes longer. And yes, you may have noticed from the ingredients photo below, I did increase the amount of garlic cloves.
Cherry tomatoes can be used in place of grape tomatoes, but they tend to be larger, so cut them in half before adding them to the pot. We used the variety pack of tomatoes that contained four different colors, adding to the overall color palette. Serve with warm, crusty bread, roasted potatoes, rice, or as in our case, farro.
Speaking of farro, the kind that’s most commonly found in the US and Europe is emmer wheat. It’s sold dry and prepared by cooking it in water until it’s soft and chewy. Before it’s cooked it looks similar to wheat berries, but afterward it looks similar to barley. It’s a small, light-brown grain with a noticeable outer layer of bran. Farro is loved for its nutty flavor and unique, chewy texture. It’s a great alternative to other popular grains, such as rice, quinoa, buckwheat and barley, among others.
Braised Chicken with Tomatoes, Mustard and Brandy
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and patted dry
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper
- 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 6 medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
- 2 tsp. smoked paprika
- 2 Tbsp. dijon mustard
- ⅓ cup brandy
- 1 pint grape tomatoes
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Directions
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven over medium-high, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion and garlic, then cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the paprika and cook, stirring until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the mustard and brandy, then cook, scraping up any browned bits, until slightly reduced, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in the tomatoes and broth, then nestle the chicken in the liquid. Bring to a simmer, reduce to medium-low, cover and cook for 10 minutes.
- Using tongs, flip the chicken and simmer, uncovered, until a skewer inserted into the chicken meets no resistance, another 5 to 8 minutes.
- Transfer the chicken to a serving dish and tent with foil. Bring the braising liquid to a simmer over medium-high and cook, stirring often, until thickened and the tomatoes have softened, 5 to 8 minutes.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the mixture over the chicken and sprinkle with the parsley.
Adapted from a recipe for Milk Street
Accounting for Taste 