Cane vinegar chicken thighs with pearl onions, orange and chopped spinach

Hugh Acheson, 'A New Turn in the South'
Servings:
Serves 2 as a big main course or 4 as a small one Servings
AVERAGE RATING

Ingredients

  • 4 chicken thighs, each weighing about 5 to 6 ounces (total of 2 1/2 pounds chicken thighs)
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black peppercorn
  • 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 16 tablespoon pearl onions, peeled
  • 1/4 teaspoon hot smoked paprika
  • 3 clove garlic, peeled and sliced thinly
  • 1 cup cane vinegar
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 2 cup large navel oranges, cut into supremes
  • 1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves
  • 2 cup cleaned spinach (stems removed)

Preparation

Baking Directions:

One pot dishes are all about planning well and laying out your prep in a smart sequential order.

The beauty of this dish is the vinegar, which is a malty, nutty and nuanced.

Season the thighs with the salt and pepper.

In a wide and heavy bottomed pot that has a lid, melt the butter over medium heat.

Add the thighs, skin side down and let them sit in that pan WITHOUT moving them around for 7 minutes.

You are encouraging good caramelization of that skin and developing a ton of flavor in the process.

After 7 minutes turn the thighs over and add the onions, paprika, and garlic to the pot.

Cook for 5 minutes and then add the vinegar, careful not to let it flame up.

This is a good time to get a spatula and loosen up all of those pan drippings.

The vinegar needs to cook down by half, and when it does, add the stock.

Cover and reduce the heat to low.

Cook for 20 minutes over low heat and then remove lid, adding oranges, mint, and spinach.

Stir lightly and serve immediately.

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