Awesome sauce—literally!! Of course using your own homemade chicken stock amps up the depth of flavor tremendously, and The Hubs had recently made a double batch. This stove-to-oven method produces well-rendered skin, meltingly-tender meat, and a savory ready-made sauce.
The braise is started by searing bone-in, skin-on thighs to crisp the skin. The thighs are then transferred to the oven where they simmer, skin side up, in a flavorful mix of chicken broth, orange juice, fennel, and Pernod until they reached 195 degrees and turned tender and juicy.
To finish that incredible sauce, the braising liquid is reduced to concentrate its flavors before whisking in a cornstarch slurry to thicken it to a luxurious, velvety consistency. Last-minute additions of olives, orange zest, and minced fennel fronds make for a deliciously fragrant finish.
French Pernod is made with star anise, fennel, and other herbs and botanicals. The anise or black licorice flavor is strong, though not quite as potent as liqueurs like absinthe and pastis. Not having any Pernod on hand, we substituted Greek Ouzo, a dry anise-flavored aperitif.
NOTES: Other brine-cured green olives such as Cerignola or Picholine can be used for the Castelvetrano. Sambuca or Ouzo can be substituted for the Pernod. Serve with your favorite potatoes, rice, or buttered noodles and a vegetable side dish.
Braised Chicken Thighs with Fennel, Orange and Cracked Olives
Ingredients
- 2 1⁄2 lbs. bone-in chicken thighs, trimmed
- 1¼ tsp. table salt
- ½ tsp. pepper
- 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 small fennel bulb, 2 tsp. fronds minced, stalks discarded, bulb halved, cored, and chopped fine
- ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1 cup chicken broth, preferably homemade
- ½ teaspoon grated orange zest plus 1 cup juice (2 oranges)
- 2 Tbsp. Pernod, OR Sambuca, OR Ouzo
- 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 2 tsp. water
- 1½ tsp. cornstarch
- 20 pitted Castelvetrano olives, cracked
Directions
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Heat oil in 12-inch ovensafe skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add chicken, skin side down, and cook, without moving it, until well browned, about 8 minutes. Using tongs, flip chicken and brown on second side, about 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to large plate.
- Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from skillet. Add chopped fennel and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring frequently, until fennel is lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Add broth, orange juice, and Pernod; bring to simmer, scraping up any browned bits. Return chicken to skillet, skin side up (skin will be above surface of liquid). Transfer skillet to oven and bake, uncovered, until chicken registers 195 degrees, 35 to 40 minutes. Whisk water and cornstarch together in small bowl; set aside.
- Using tongs, transfer chicken to serving platter and tent with aluminum foil. Place skillet over high heat. Cook, occasionally scraping side of skillet to incorporate fond, until sauce is thickened and reduced to 1½ cups, 8 to 10 minutes. Adjust heat to medium-low. Whisk cornstarch mixture to recombine and then whisk into sauce and simmer until thickened, about 1 minute. Off heat, whisk in lemon juice, olives, and orange zest, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce around chicken, top with fennel fronds, and serve.
Adapted from a recipe by Steve Dunn for Cook’s Illustrated
Accounting for Taste 