White Wine Braised Chicken Thighs
I was supposed to be in Italy this week. Hubs and I had a whole wonderful food-oriented trip planned. We were going enjoy spritzes on the canals in Venice, learn to butcher meat from Dario Cecchini in Tuscany and eat enough gelato to make us sick. That’s what was supposed to happen. Then my youngest went to his soccer game. He was kicked the wrong way and ended up in the ER with a broken leg. A broken leg that may need surgery. So, needless to say, I’m not in Italy right now. Instead of tasting Tuscan wines and eating enough seafood to make my stomach hurt, I’m shuffling my son back and forth to doctors appointments.
But just because I’m not in Italy, doesn’t mean I can’t eat like I am. My friend, Dana, of Foodie Goes Healthy was in Italy recently and she put these thighs on her Insta Story. As soon as I saw them, I knew I had to try them. You know, just to get my palate ready for all the amazing food I’ll be eating… in a few months.
Pasta always comes to mind when I think of dining in Italy. I know there are plenty of other options, but pasta’s always at the forefront. Then I saw these thighs. These thighs that are full of flavor, but absolutely remind you what Italian food can be like. They remind you that Italian food doesn’t have to be heavy pasta or pizza. It can be light, delicious proteins. Something that you can throw together in a few minutes and still be totally satisfied.
These chicken thighs are exactly that and more. They’re easy to make, take about an hour, tops and are soooooo good. The combination of white wine and capers are what put this dish over the top. But the real trick is browning the chicken. Getting the skin on these thighs nice and crispy is the key to added flavor. The salty, crispy skin works well with the salty brine from the capers. But the thing that really kicks the chicken over the top is the wine.
I’ve made this dish with both a chardonnay and a pinot grigio, and pinot grigio is definitely the way to go. It’s lighter and that fruitiness goes well with the salty brine. The chardonnay was too sour or winey… I don’t know, but something about it didn’t quite work. So, in the future I’ll be using a pinot, but that’s the only thing that will change. The rest of it, the capers and the bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, those will remain the same. And every time I make this dish, I’ll remember all the amazing food I tasted in Italy, even if it wasn’t pizza or pasta.
White Wine Braised Chicken Thighs
Notes
Adapted from Wanderings in My Kitchen
Ingredients
- 5 - 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1/2 cup capers, drained
- 1 (750 ml) bottle of pinot grigio
- 2 tablespoon parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Place chicken thighs in a large cast iron skillet skin side down and cook over medium-high heat for 10-15 minutes. You want the thighs to be dark brown. Flip the chicken and sear for another 10 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the pan and wipe out the grease. Add the chicken back to the pan along with the capers. Pour in the wine until the chicken is almost submerged.
- Return the pan to heat and bring the liquid to a simmer. Cover and continue to simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the chicken is very tender.
- Remove the braised thighs from the pan and place on a serving platter. Transfer the capers to the plated chicken using a slotted spoon. Spoon some of the braising liquid over top of the chicken. Top everything with a handful of chopped parsley and serve.
