White Wine and Tomato-Braised Chicken

Preparation

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. In 5-quart Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add 4 chicken thighs; cook 5 to 6 minutes, turning once, until browned. Transfer to plate. Repeat with remaining 4 chicken thighs. Add bacon; cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until crispy. With slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towel-lined plate. Drain off all but 2 tablespoons drippings from Dutch oven.
2. Add mushrooms to Dutch oven with drippings; cook over medium-high heat 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned. Add onions; cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened. Add garlic, thyme leaves and bay leaf; cook and stir 1 minute. Add wine; cook 1 to 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits on bottom of Dutch oven, until liquid is almost evaporated. Stir in tomatoes, browned chicken and bacon. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 30 to 35 minutes or until juice of chicken is clear when thickest part is cut (at least 165°F). Add whipping cream; cook uncovered 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened. Remove bay leaf. Garnish with parsley.

Tips

• Use a dry, crisp white wine, like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio in this recipe.
• We used white button mushrooms when testing this recipe. If you’d prefer a deeper mushroom flavor, you can substitute sliced cremini mushrooms.
• Mashed potatoes, buttered noodles, even crispy garlic bread slices make a nice side to this flavorful dish.
• Boneless skinless chicken thighs cook more quickly than bone-in, skin-on thighs and avoid the soggy, flabby chicken skin that inevitably happens during the braising process.

Nutrition Information