Braised Chicken with Shallots

I love "one-pot" cooking because I truly hate cleaning up after cooking. To me, cleaning loads of dishes is just a bad way to end a good meal. But it is a necessity of life, I guess.

I learned a new trick while making this recipe (thank you Martha Stewart!). If you place several shallots in a bowl of warm water, and soak them for about 15 minutes, the skins will loosen and you can just slip them off with a paring knife. SO easy. I ended up peeling more than I needed so I saved the extra in my fridge for later. 

This was very tasty and satisfying - a real "comfort food" kind of dish. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!



I served this over red quinoa (you can find this at Trader Joes - it has a wonderful nutty flavor and a great little "crunch". Also I used red and yellow cherry tomatoes.



Braised Chicken with Shallots

Ingredients~

 8 bone-in, skinless (I used skin-on because I'm that way) chicken thighs (about 2 1/2 lbs)

1/4 C flour

2 TBL olive oil

1 lb small shallots, peeled and halved

5 garlic cloves, peeled and halved

1/2 C dry white wine

3 TBL Dijon mustard

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

fresh tarragon leaves for garnish

Directions~

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper; coat with flour, shaking off excess (after seasoning the chicken, I put it in a baggie with the flour and just shake!).

2. In a Dutch oven or 5 quart pot with a tight fitting lid, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook until browned, about 3-4 minutes per side. Set chicken aside and cover with foil.

3. Add shallots and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally until slightly softened and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add wine; cook until evaporated, 3-5 minutes. Stir in mustard and 1 1/2 C water (I mixed the mustard in with the water before pouring into the pan); bring to a boil.

4. Return chicken,bone side down, to pot. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until chicken is tender and cooked through, about 30-35 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate; tent with foil. Add tomatoes to pot; season with salt and pepper. Cook on high until sauce has thickened, 6-8 minutes. Return chicken to pot to re-heat if necessary. Garnish with Tarragon and serve!