Chicken Provençal (The Minimalist Version)

Chicken Provençal (The Minimalist Version) Serves 4 8 chicken thighs (roughly 3.5 Lb / 1.5 kg) 1 Tbsp oil with a high smoke point (like canola or grapeseed) 2 yellow onions, diced 2 tsp minced fresh thyme, rosemary, and/or sage (or 1 tsp dry) 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 cup dry white wine 28 oz (794g) can of whole or diced tomatoes Chopped tarragon or parsley for serving Ideally, trim and salt the chicken a day or at least 2 hours before cooking (if not salting ahead, dry very well with paper towels and salt right before placing in the skillet so that the salt doesn’t make it damp). Set a large skillet (if possible stainless steel) that can hold the chicken in a single layer over high heat. Add the oil. While the oil is heating up, dry the chicken very well with paper towels. Place the chicken in the skillet skin side down and cook without disturbing until brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Regulate the heat so that the chicken doesn’t burn. Flip and brown the other side, about 2 minutes. Remove to a plate and keep skin side up in a single layer. Preheat the oven to 325F (160C). Lower the heat to medium-low. Add the onions, a generous pinch of salt, and cook stirring occasionally until translucent and golden brown, about 15min. Add the herbs, the garlic, and another pinch of salt, and cook until aromatic, about 2 min. Add the wine and tomatoes and bring to a simmer. If your tomatoes are whole, chop them up with a flat spoon or spatula. Taste and correct for salt. Add the olives, bay leaves, the chicken, and its juices back to the pan. The chicken meat should be almost submerged, but the skin should stay above the sauce. Bring to a simmer and place in the middle of the oven. Cook for 1 hour or until the chicken is completely soft when pierced with a fork in the thickest part. Let rest for 15-20 min. Sprinkle the chicken with tarragon or parsley and serve. Support my channel https://www.patreon.com/helenrennie My cooking classes in the Boston area: http://www.helenrennie.com FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/HelensKitchenCooking/ INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/helen.rennie