Pan Seared Chicken Thighs in Wine and Rosemary

This is a quick alternative to cooking chicken in the oven and it harks back to many many years ago to a recipe of Pierre Franey, a chef who wrote a column in the NYT newspaper when I was a young married which I still remember he called a basic saute of chicken. I don’t remember the precise recipe, merely that the chicken was cooked from start to finish in a frying pan and had wine in it.

Since I hear the stress in the voices of people who wish to prepare for Passover and don’t have a Pesach oven or the ability to kasher their regular oven, I give you this very delicious, stovetop recipe. You will be happy to make it all year long.

Start with a 12 inch frying pan, big enough to hold 8 chicken thighs (with skin on and bone in) – if only using 6 thighs, a 10 inch pan should suffice. Wash your chicken.

Pat dry. This is important since you will be searing/frying them and if you have water on them they will sputter badly in the pan.

Take the frying pan and put in the oil. Heat the pan till the oil is hot and you tilt the pan to coat. Lower to medium high.

Now I’ll give you the benefit of my experience, to prevent a mess, I’d cover the burners with tin foil on either side of the pan. The chicken will sputter, it’ll save you cleanup. Next, take the dried off chicken thighs, sprinkle lightly with salt and place skin side down in the pan on the heated oil. Please be careful not to get burned!

Now whilst you can’t completely walk away, time this for 15 minutes and do NOT move the chicken at all during this time. You might be tempted to peek but don’t. The trick here is that not moving the thighs keeps them from sticking. If you are afraid they are cooking at too high a temp, lower the flame but do not peek. Really!

After your timer goes off, carefully turn the chicken with tongs or spatula (don’t poke with fork, the juices might run out) right side up. Take the white wine, rosemary (I actually prefer the dried kind, I find the fresh overpowering in flavor) and lemon juice and pour on the sides into the pan, not over the chicken and time for an additional 15 minutes, uncovered. They may need an additional five minutes, but don’t overcook. They are juicy and delish. Pour the pan juices over the chicken. Very nice served with roasted potatoes or sweet potatoes.

Pan Seared Chicken Thighs in Wine and Rosemary

8 chicken thighs, washed and patted dry, sprinkled lightly with salt
1-2 tablespoons vegetable or olive  oil
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 -1/3 cup White wine
2 tablespoons lemon juice fresh squeezed if possible
Salt

Directions:

Take a 12 inch frying pan large enough to hold the dried chicken. Put in the oil and heat till nice and hot, lower to medium high and carefully place (the dried off!!) lightly salted chicken in the pan, skin side down. It behooves you to cover the other burners with tin foil since it does sputter even if dried off, saves you cleanup.

Cook the chicken for fifteen minutes, DO NOT MOVE IT, DO NOT PEEK! This prevents the skin of the chicken from sticking and cooks it properly. After the timer goes off (really, time it) carefully turn the chicken with tongs or spatula, don’t poke with a fork, the juices may run out, and when all turned, add the wine, rosemary and lemon juice.

Cook for an additional 15 minutes, another 5 minutes more only if necessary and it is juicy, flavorful and done. Pour the pan juices over the chicken to serve.