Chicken Provençal
- 6 to 8 medium to large bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (*see notes)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoon olive oil
- 8 to 9 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 to 3 banana shallots, cut in slices
- 5 tablespoons capers, drained
- 380g (1 ½ cup) cherry tomatoes
- 250g (1 cup) green olives
- 8 medjool dates, pitted and quartered
- 3 to 4 stems (about ½ bunch) of fresh tarragon, then de-stemmed
- 240ml (1 cup) dry white wine
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, de-stemmed
- ½ lemon, cut into 4 wedges
Yield: Serves 4 to 6 persons
Time: 400°F/200°C for 45-50 mins.
Prep
- In a small bowl, filled with hot water, soak the Medjool dates for 5 minutes, until softened. Drain and set aside.
- Pat the chicken thighs dry with kitchen towelettes or paper towels. Set aside.
- Slice each clove of garlic in half, lengthways. Set aside.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C.
- Season the chicken with the salt and black pepper, evenly on both sides.
- In a 10-inch pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, and sear the chicken (skin side down) for 4 to 5 minutes, until browned. Then, flip the chicken over, and sear the opposite side for 3 to 4 minutes. Switch off the heat.
- Nestle the garlic, shallots, capers, tomatoes, olives, and quartered dates between and around the chicken thighs in the pan. Sprinkle thyme over the top.
- Pour in the wine, along the inside edge of the pan, then sprinkle half of the fresh tarragon over the chicken.
- Place the lid over the chicken, and simmer in the oven for 30 mins. Remove the lid and cook a further 15 to 20 mins., or until the chicken (reaches 165°F or 74°C) is done. Remove from the oven, and garnish with the remaining fresh tarragon. Serve over a bed of basmati white rice or with a fresh French baguette. Plate with a wedge of lemon, and spoon a little bit of the extra juices from the chicken over the rice, and the olive mixture over it, then place the chicken thighs on top. Enjoy!
*Chefs Notes
If you have medium chicken thighs, use 6 or 7 thighs, if you have large chicken thighs use 5 or 6. I used medium chicken thighs and used 6 here. Think about how many people you are feeding; this will help you gauge how many chicken thighs you will need. For example, if your chicken thighs are rather small, use 8 thighs for this recipe to serve at least 4 people with two small thighs.
FAQs
What olives can I use in this recipe?
Green olives are best in this Provençal recipe. I like to use pitted green olives or Castelvetrano green olives.
Can I make this without tomatoes?
Although tomatoes add the right acidity to this dish, this recipe can be made without tomatoes if one of your guests has an allergy. Feel free to make it without tomatoes and use the whole lemon instead of half of a lemon (mentioned in the recipe above), proceed with cutting the entire lemon in wedges.
Recipe by Madison of Fashion Tales Blog
