“You only live twice, so live and let die.” Channeling 007! OK, the recipe name alone got our attention! As Bon Appétit puts it “This cheeky chicken dish takes its cues from the king of cocktails: the dirty martini. A healthy pour of vodka stands in for the more typical beer or wine in this braise, lending its distinct piercing brightness and a touch of boozy heat.”
The idea of adding the same notes of the briny beverage to food might sound off-putting at first but don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. Giving your meals a dirty martini twist can actually add so much savoriness to each bite, and if you love the taste of the classic drink, why wouldn’t you want to include the unique umami flavor in your meals, too?
The spirit’s sharp top notes cut through the heaviness of the ultra-savory pan sauce, much like vinegar or lemon juice but with a bit more bite. As is the case in a classic vodka sauce for pasta, the alcohol helps the dish straddle the line between rich and vibrant. As it all simmers, why not mix up a drink for dinner too—just sayin’ you’ve got all the ingredients at the ready!
For the best flavor, Castelvetrano olives are the perfect choice here. Their firm, meaty texture means they hold up well during cooking, and their mild, buttery flavor isn’t as salty as other types. Because you are using both the olives and the brine they are packed in, it’s a small luxury worth investing in. Find them already pitted—jarred, canned, or at an olive bar—our favorite— if your grocery store has one. Unfortunately, the olive bar uses slitted spoons so we couldn’t gather the brine; and the jarred Castelvetrano olives weren’t pitted. The brand we selected worked fine.
A little labor intensive but so worth the time and effort! Now, this took MUCH longer than the stated 45 minutes (and many other reviewers agreed). From start to finish, it took us more than 1 hour and 45 minutes! Reduction of the sauce needs a lot more that 9 to 12 minutes. What to serve it with? How about steamed rice, velvety mashed potatoes, or as we did, wide egg noodles.
OK, now let’s get real. The amount of chicken is considered measly in our minds. Two pounds of bone-in chicken thighs is just not enough to feed 4 adults. Plan on 6 to 8 decent-sized thighs, no matter what the weight ends up being. Regarding the olives, our jar was 6.25 ounces*, and gave us exactly 2/3 brine.
“You only live twice, so live and let die.”
Dirty Martini Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- Skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (6-8), about 3 lbs.
- 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
- 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, plus more
- 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 medium shallots, thinly sliced
- 12 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 1¼ cups dry vermouth
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 5.5-oz. jar* pitted Castelvetrano or other green olives, rinsed (about 1 cup), brine reserved (about ⅔ cup)
- ⅔ cup vodka, divided
- 1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
- Parsley leaves with tender stems and lemon wedges (optional; for serving)
Directions
- Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°. Pat 2 lb. skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (4–6) dry with paper towels and sprinkle all over with 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper and 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt.
- Pour 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil into a cold very large high-sided ovenproof skillet or short-sided pot over medium (you want the vessel to be at least 3½-qt. capacity; if you don’t have any of the preferred options, a large Dutch oven will work). Arrange chicken thighs, skin side down, in pan and set over medium heat. Cook, undisturbed, rotating pan around on burner for even browning, until chicken is deep golden brown and releases easily from pan, 14–17 minutes. Transfer chicken thighs to a plate, arranging skin side up.
- Pour off all but 4 tsp. oil from pan; discard. Return pan to medium heat and cook 3 medium shallots, thinly sliced, stirring often, until just tender, about 4 minutes. Add 12 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle in 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour and stir to coat, then remove from heat (make sure pan is far away from the burner).
- Carefully pour in 1¼ cups dry vermouth, 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth, ⅔ cup olive brine, and ⅓ cup vodka. Place pan over medium-high heat and bring liquid to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is reduced by two thirds, 9–12 minutes. (It took us nearly 25 minutes to reduce it down to 2/3 the original amount.) Remove from heat; stir in remaining ⅓ cup vodka. Taste sauce and season with more salt if needed.
- Nestle chicken thighs, skin side up, into sauce. Scatter one 5.5-oz. jar pitted Castelvetrano or other green olives, rinsed (about 1 cup), over, allowing most of them to fall into the sauce. Bake, uncovered, until chicken is cooked through and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh registers 165°, 25–35 minutes.
- Remove pan from heat, stir in 1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest and and scatter parsley leaves with tender stems over chicken and sauce. Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over if desired.
Adapted from a recipe by Jesse Szewczyk for Bon Appétit
Accounting for Taste 