Hot and Comfy.... Braised Chicken Thighs with Rosemary and Chiles

Did you ever just NEED one of those "chase the cold away" comfort meals. I know I often do during this time of year. A good comfort meal can almost be like Mom putting her arms around and saying welcome home. And THAT is always a good feeling isn't it? And I can tell you, there is nothing better than walking into a house that has those warm inviting smells that immediately put you in a comfort zone...well that and a couple of glasses of wine. If I do my job today, I'm going to do a little of both and hopefully make you the hero of the day in the process..

Today we are going to do a little braising and add a little kick to it. The dish is called "Braised Chicken Thighs with Rosemary n Chiles". Braising is a VERY easy process which really allows you to get things done. And of course....you guessed it. It's easy to do to. Don't let the name intimidate you, braising is simply the process of browning a meat and then letting it simmer in a sauce, covered on a low heat. That's basically it. And you know that something that simple gives us a TON of room to try new things and have some fun. Ok....Let's prep.

Here's What You Need:

• Chicken Thighs with the skin and bone (Figure about 2 thighs per person, DON'T use breasts they dry out to easy)
  
• Flour
• 1 tbsp minced fresh Thyme (really mince it as it's going into the flour)
  
• 1 tbsp minced fresh Oregano (also going into the flour)
  
• Sea Salt
• FG Pepper
• Olive Oil
• 4 Garlic Cloves (just crush these no need to chop)
  
• 1 bunch fresh Rosemary
• 2 Red Chiles Peppers (or jalapenos if you can't find red chiles)
  
• 1 1/2 cups Black Olives (whole or half, but whole makes a better presentation)
  
• 1 btl white wine (you know the rule here)
  
• 4 cups chicken stock (bouillon cubes work here jut fine)
  
• 1 bunch Italian Parsley
  

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F

In a bowl shallow enough for dredging, combine flour, thyme, oregano, salt and fg pepper. Dredge the thighs in the seasoned flour and set aside.

In a large pot, fry the olive oil, garlic, rosemary and peppers to infuse the oil with their flavors.

TPC NOTE: When I say crush the garlic, literally that's what I mean. Lay the side of your chef's knife on the garlic (blade pointed away...you psycho) and give the blade a quick smash with the your palm. This way you still get the garlic flavor but not as intense as if you chopped or minced it. You can also do this with the pepper. Though I like the heat and I cut the pepper up, seeds and all.

Remove the rosemary, garlic and peppers and set aside. Place the seasoned thigh pieces in the pan and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, on both sides, until the meat is golden brown. Place the reserved rosemary, peppers and garlic back into the pan and add the olives, wine and chicken stock. I would only put enough liquid to go up halfway on the chicken. Keep the skin side up. Place in the oven and cook for 30 minutes.

When cooked, remove the chicken from the pot with a slotted spoon and place on a platter. Reduce the remaining liquid on a high heat until it coats the back of the spoon then pour over the chicken platter. Throw some roughly chopped parsley for affect. Serve on a big platter "family style" for a really nice feel. You can serve with pasta or vegetables or steamed potatoes. I went with some Pan Fried Gnocchi and Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon.

WINE NOTE: This is a hearty meal with a kick that can become serious (depending how you prepare it) and because this can be a little tricky, I went for a little help on the wine choice. Lucky my brother just happens to be a serious wine guru and when I get stuck he's better than any website I can think of for advice. Here's what he recommends here: "A big Zin or Syrah/Shiraz could pair well with that you're thinking. Something with a lot of fruit as the spice is going to cancel out a lot of the fruit and accentuate any tannins there are." Done and Done. Thanks Jim!

Until we do this again....

Enjoy....Have Fun...and Eat Well!

TPC