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Provençal Braised Chicken
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Think of this dish as bouillabaisse made with chicken instead of seafood. Fresh fennel, garlic, white wine, orange zest and saffron give the braise rich, heady perfume and an unmistakably Mediterranean flavor. Any unoaked dry white wine works well here, but ideally look for one produced in southern France, such as white Côtes du Rhône or marsanne. We use strips of orange zest instead of grated zest to lend citrusy notes to the braise. A sharp Y-style vegetable peeler is the best tool for peeling away zest strips, but try to remove only the colored peel, not the bitter white pith just underneath. Serve the chicken with toasted crusty bread drizzled with olive oil.
4
Servings
Tip
Don’t be shy about cooking the tomato paste. Allowing it to brown not only adds color, it also helps develop flavor in the braising liquid.
45 minutes
1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed, patted dry and cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed, cored and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 wide strips orange zest (each about 2 inches long), plus 2 tablespoons orange juice
½ cup dry white wine
¼ teaspoon saffron threads
1 cup lightly packed fresh basil, torn
Ingredients
-
1½
pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed, patted dry and cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
-
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
-
¼
-
1
medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced
-
1
medium fennel bulb, trimmed, cored and thinly sliced
-
2
tablespoons tomato paste
-
3
medium garlic cloves, minced
-
¼
teaspoon red pepper flakes
-
2
wide strips orange zest (each about 2 inches long), plus 2 tablespoons orange juice
-
½
cup dry white wine
-
¼
teaspoon saffron threads
-
1
cup lightly packed fresh basil, torn
Directions
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01In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with ½ teaspoon each salt and black pepper; set aside. In a large Dutch oven over medium-high, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion, fennel and ½ teaspoon salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to brown, about 10 minutes.
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02Add the tomato paste, garlic, pepper flakes and orange zest. Cook, stirring often, until the tomato paste begins to darken and stick to the pot, about 4 minutes. Reduce to medium and add the wine. Bring to a simmer and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until the liquid is almost evaporated, about 3 minutes.
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03Add the chicken, 3 cups water and the saffron, then stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, then reduce to medium-low and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until a skewer inserted into the chicken meets no resistance, about 15 minutes.
-
04Off heat, remove and discard the zest strips. Stir in the orange juice and about half the basil, then taste and season with salt and black pepper. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with the remaining basil.
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Reviews
December 2, 2022
Delicious
No adjustment required!! Definitely a bouillabaisse style dish to be served in bowls with bread for sopping up all that delicious broth.
November 5, 2022
Delicious
Just returned from Nice and wanted to find a fish bouillabaisse and came an across this recipe. Loved the flavors and didn’t change a thing. Husband said add it to the rotation.
October 9, 2022
Delicious
Great recipe! Used chicken broth instead of water and added the fennel fronds to the basil rather than waste them.
October 8, 2022
Better than expected
Easy to make and a much bigger payoff than you would expect given the simplicity. I agree with others that you could cut back on the amount of liquid.
June 1, 2022
Perfect mid-week dish
What a great dish to have mid-week. unique vegetables used for an American household that really bring the dish to life. Since dark meat is used, it reheats well for lunch the next day. I add more flavor and collagen by using my homemade chicken broth and dilute it with the water the dish calls for. Making it again tonight.
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Your First Issue
I only used 2cups of water. I think I couldve done with 1.5 or 1.3/4c.... Still had plenty of au jus to wipe up with crusty bread.
The orange flavor is lovely.