Braised Chicken With Tomato Pancetta And Zinfandel Recipes

ITALIAN BRAISED CHICKEN WITH TOMATOES AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Set your oven to 400 degrees.
• Heat the oil in a large, ovenproof pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken thighs to the pan, skin side up. Season the chicken skin with a pinch of salt and a little pepper on each piece. Once some of the fat has been released into the pan, flip the chicken over and cook until the skin is brown and crispy, about 7-8 minutes. If using skinless thighs, cook them until the meat starts to brown. Remove the chicken from the pan. (While the chicken is cooking, prep the rest of the ingredients.)
• Pour out all but a few teaspoons of the oil. Add the onion to the pan and let it cook until soft, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the tomato paste to the pan and let it cook until it has darkened slightly and is fragrant smelling, about 3 minutes.
• Add all the remaining ingredients to the pan and stir well. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper. Nestle the chicken back into the pan, skin side up. Pop the chicken into the oven and let it cook for 40 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven and serve it right away.

CHICKEN BRAISED IN TWO VINEGARS

Steps:

• Season chicken well on both sides with salt and pepper. In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until it starts to become fragrant and lightly golden, about 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Begin cooking the chicken, making sure not to crowd the pan (you may need to do this in batches). Cook until the chicken is no longer pink on the outside and begins to lightly brown in spots, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. If it's not cooked through at this point, that's O.K.
• If you've cooked the chicken in batches, add all of the meat and any residual juices back to the pan. Pour in the vinegars, add reserved garlic and bring to a simmer. Turn heat to medium-low, cover and allow the meat to continue to cook in the sauce, about 5 to 7 minutes more.
• Uncover and toss chicken well in the vinegar sauce to coat. Cook chicken about 3 to 5 minutes more or until the sauce has reduced by about half and has thickened slightly. Sprinkle with parsley and oregano, if using, and season with flaky salt, if using. Serve in bowls over polenta or with rice pilaf and spoon the remaining sauce atop.

SKILLET CHICKEN WITH TOMATOES, PANCETTA AND MOZZARELLA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.
• In a large oven-proof skillet, warm oil over medium-high heat. Add pancetta and cook, stirring frequently, until browned. Use a slotted spoon to transfer pancetta to a paper-towel-lined plate.
• Add chicken to skillet. Sear, turning only occasionally, until well browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large plate. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon oil.
• Add garlic, anchovy and red pepper flakes to skillet; fry 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and basil. Cook, breaking up tomatoes with a spatula, until sauce thickens somewhat, about 10 minutes.
• Return chicken to skillet. Transfer skillet to oven and cook, uncovered, until chicken is no longer pink, about 30 minutes.
• Scatter bocconcini or mozzarella pieces over skillet. Adjust oven temperature to broil. Return skillet to oven and broil until cheese is melted and bubbling, 2 to 3 minutes (watch carefully to see that it does not burn). Garnish with pancetta and chopped basil before serving.

SHEET-PAN CHICKEN WITH JAMMY TOMATOES AND PANCETTA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Season chicken all over with salt, and place on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Smash all the garlic cloves with the side of a knife and peel them. Finely grate one garlic clove and put it in a small bowl. Stir in the 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice, paprika, oregano, brown sugar (if using) and cumin. Pour over chicken, tossing to coat.
• Add tomatoes and remaining smashed, peeled garlic cloves to baking sheet, spreading them out around the chicken. Season tomatoes lightly with salt and drizzle with a little more olive oil. Scatter pancetta on top.
• Roast until chicken is golden and cooked through, about 30 to 35 minutes. After 15 minutes, stir the tomatoes and pancetta, but don't disturb the chicken.
• Transfer chicken to plates. Stir the tomatoes and pancetta around in the pan, scraping up all the delicious browned bits from the bottom and sides, and stir in the herbs and black pepper to taste. Taste and add salt, if needed, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, if you like. Spoon tomatoes, garlic and pancetta over the chicken to serve.