Chicken Provencal

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This chicken Provencal recipe uses bone-in thighs braised in an aromatic white wine sauce made with tarragon, orange, cherry tomatoes, olives, and capers. The bonus to this method is that the skin stays nice and crispy.

Prep Time30

Cook Time1 15

Total Time1 45

Course: Dinner, Entree/Poultry

Cuisine: French/Mediterranean

Diet: Gluten Free, Low Lactose

Servings:

Author: Abigail Chipley

Ingredients

3 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken thighs (about 8)
2 tablespoons Herbes de Provence
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
6 medium shallots (about 12 ounces), peeled and quartered
12 garlic cloves, peeled and halved lengthwise
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups (10 ounces) cherry or grape tomatoes
1/2 cup green olives such as Castelvetrano, pitted and halved
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed well in cold water
4 sprigs fresh tarragon
1 3-inch strip orange zest
Fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Baguette for serving (optional)

Instructions

Get ready. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Season the chicken. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Combine Herbes de Provence with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Rub the mixture between your fingers to crush the dried herbs and release their aroma. Then, rub the Herbes de Provence mixture on both sides, making sure to lift the skin up and rub some underneath. Set aside for 20 minutes, or refrigerate uncovered for 2 hours if you have the time.
Sear the chicken. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add half of the chicken, skin side down. Let the chicken cook undisturbed until the skin turns golden brown and releases from the pan, 8 to 10 minutes. Using tongs or a thin metal spatula, pry the chicken up and flip. Brown on the other side briefly, about 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate for now (you will cook it through later). Repeat with the remaining chicken. (There should be enough fat left in the pan from the previous batch, but add another tablespoon oil if needed.)
Add the aromatics and deglaze. Add the shallots and garlic to the pan. Cook briefly, stirring over medium heat until slightly softened and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and continue cooking. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to loosen the browned bits from the bottom of the pan and cook until the wine has reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
Add other elements. Stir in the tomatoes, olives, capers, 2 sprigs of tarragon, and one 3-inch strip of orange zest. Bring to a simmer.
Braise the chicken. Carefully nestle chicken into the liquid, making sure the liquid only covers the bottoms of the chicken thighs and leaves the skins exposed (this will help the skin stay brown and crispy). Bring to a simmer. Transfer chicken to the oven and cook, uncovered, until the chicken is tender, the tomatoes have softened, and the liquid has reduced by about half, about 45 minutes.
Finish and serve. Transfer the chicken thighs to a plate. Discard the tarragon sprigs and orange zest. Ladle the braised tomato sauce into shallow bowls, and top each serving with chicken pieces. Chop the remaining 2 tarragon sprigs and parsley and sprinkle over the chicken. Serve baguette on the side.

Notes

Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients, including the olive oil and olives used in this recipe.
How to Halve: If 8 chicken thighs sounds like more than you'd like to make, you can halve this recipe. When I tried it I found that it's actually quicker, because you don't have to sear the chicken in two batches. I just used 4 thighs (about 1 1/2 pounds); however, I didn't halve the oil, since you need about a tablespoon to render the chicken fat. You can just halve the quantities of the rest of the ingredients.

Nutrition

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