It’s been sometime since I’ve blogged. So, to make it up to you all, I’ve got a great recipe today.

 

These devilish, baked chicken thighs are delicious! It’s a relatively easy recipe but a little tedious. And the braised leeks tasted just fabulous, absorbing all the chicken flavor and acting as the perfect bed for the fowl to lay on. The pictures didn’t come out too well…because we were too busy eating and drinking to bother :) But I couldn’t wait to make this again and take better pictures before sharing this with you. So here it is….bad picture and all.

Chicken thighs are marinated overnight in vermouth, herbs and chillies. They’re then slathered with a mustard mixture and topped with fresh breadcrumbs; placed on a bed of leeks, that have been quickly browned in a saute pan, and baked off in the oven. Voila!


I made many adjustments to the original recipe, to cut on the unnecessary fat – used skinless, boneless chicken thighs (though I would suggest you use bone-in…I bought the wrong kind at the grocery store…still good though), substituted wheat bread instead of white and didn’t drench the breadcrumbs with butter. It was excellent. It was also my first time cooking with leeks…and I’ve become a fan. They have such a sophisticated oniony taste. I look forward to using them more in my recipes. Onto the recipe…

Devil’s Chicken Thighs with Braised Leeks and Dijon Mustard
Adapted from smittenkitchen

6 skinless chicken thighs
1/2 cup thinly sliced onion
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon thyme leaves
1 serrano, thinly sliced
2 fresh bay leaves, thinly sliced, or 2 dried leaves, crumbled
1/2 cup dry vermouth
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup finely diced shallots
1/4 cup dijon mustard
1 egg
1 teaspoon chopped tarragon
Braised leeks (recipe below)
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the chicken thighs in a large bowl with the sliced onion, 1 tablespoons thyme, chiles, bay leaves, and 1/4 cup vermouth. Using your hands, toss to coat the chicken well. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

Mix breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon thyme and parsley together in a bowl.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Add shallots and remaining 1 teaspoon thyme to 1 tablespoon oil in a satue pan. Saute about 2 minutes, until the shallots are translucent. Add the remaining 1/4 cup vermouth and reduce by half. Transfer to a bowl and let cool a few minutes. Whisk in the mustard, egg, chopped tarragon, and a pinch of black pepper.

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking, to bring it to room temperature. Discard the seasonings, and pat the chicken dry with paper towels. After 15 minutes, season the thighs well on both sides with salt and pepper.

Toss the chicken thighs in the bowl with the mustard mixture, slathering them completely, and then arrange them over the braised leeks. Spoon any remaining mustard mixture over the chicken thighs. Top each thigh with breadcrumbs, patting with your hands to make sure they get nicely coated. (You want lots of mustard mixture and lots of breadcrumbs.) Bake about 40 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked through. To check for doneness, piece the meat near the bone with a paring knife; when ready, the juices from the chicken will run clear.

Turn the oven up to 475°F and cook the chicken thighs another 10 minutes, until the breadcrumbs are golden brown.

Serve in the baking dish, or transfer to a large warm platter.

Braised Leeks

3 large leeks
About 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (though I always skimp and use less)
1/2 cup sliced shallots
1/2  tablespoon thyme leaves
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 to 1 cups chicken or vegetable stock or water
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Remove any bruised outer layers from the leeks. Trim off to the roots, leaving the root end intact. Trim the tops of the leeks on the diagonal, leaving 2 inches of the green part attached. Cut the leeks in half lengthwise, and submerge in a large bowl of cold water to clean them. Shake the leeks well to dislodge the dirt stuck inside. Let them sit a few minutes, to allow any grit inside the layers to fall to the bottom of the bowl. Repeat the process until the water is clean. Place the leeks, cut side down, on a towel and pat dry completely.

Turn the leeks over so their cut sides are facing up, and season with 2 teaspoons salt and a few grindings of black pepper.

Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Pour in 1/8 cup olive oil, and wait 1 minute. Place the leeks in the pan, cut side down, being careful not to crowd them. (you will probably need to saute them in batches or in two pans. Add more olive oil to the pan as needed, for each batch.) Sear them 4 to 5 minutes, until they are golden brown. Season the backs of the leeks with salt and pepper, and turn them over to cook another 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer them to a large gratin dish, lining them up, cut sides facing up. (Choose a baking dish or gratin dish that can go from oven to table and that will accommodate all the leeks and chick thighs, or use two smaller dishes.)

Pour 1/8 cup olive oil into the pan and heat over medium heat. Add the shallots, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper. Cook about 5 minutes, until the shallots are just beginning to color. Add the white wine and reduce by half. Add stock, and bring to a boil over high heat.

Pour the liquid over the leeks. The stock should not quite cover them; add more stock if necessary.

Braise in the oven 30 minutes, until the leeks are tender when pierced. (Don’t need to worried about this if you’re going to top them with the chicken, in which case they’ll have plenty of additional baking time.)

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