Chardonel-Braised Chicken Thighs with Olives, Garlic and Mushrooms

This is comfort food at its best. Olives and wine star in this Mediterranean take on braised chicken thighs. Cooking olives cuts the bracing acidity of their brine, lending a buttery softness to the dish that marries perfectly with earthy mushrooms and garlic.

Chicken thighs (arguably the best part of the chicken!) are caramelized until a golden brown and then braised with a rich, aromatic mix of Chardonel wine, briny olives, garlic and mushrooms. Served with a crisp salad and warm bread with butter and frankly, it doesn’t get much better. Leftovers keep well for a few days in the fridge and reheat brilliantly, so make enough to enjoy later in the week.

Recipe by Catherine Neville

  • 6 bone-in chicken thighs

  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • olive oil

  • 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped

  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed

  • ½ lb mushrooms, chopped (such as button, crimini or oyster)

  • ½ to 1 cup Chardonel (or another dry white wine)

  • 1 cup chicken stock

  • zest of 1 lemon, peeled into strips

  • 1 cup halved and pitted green olives (such as Cerignola)

  • good bread or polenta

| Preparation | Preheat oven to 350°F.

Heat a heavy Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Generously salt and pepper chicken thighs that have been patted dry. Pour a swirl of olive oil into hot pan, add chicken thighs, skin down. Allow to brown and caramelize until skin is crispy, about 8 minutes. Flip chicken and brown on the other side. Remove to a plate.

Turn heat to medium and add chopped onion to pan, sauteing and scraping up fond. When onion is soft, add in garlic and stir until fragrant, then add in mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and saute mushrooms until nicely browned.

Deglaze pan with Chardonel, scraping up brown bits. Add in chicken stock and allow to simmer for a bit to reduce. Stir in lemon zest and then add thighs back to pan, skin side up. Add olives to pan. Check liquid level and add more wine if necessary to bring liquid up to ½-inch depth on the chicken.

Braise thighs in the oven for 30 to 45 minutes, until chicken is tender and cooked through. Serve thighs with polenta or good crusty bread and butter.

Catherine Neville