Braised Chicken Thighs with Fennel

Then prep

• Trim the 2 fennel bulbs. Halve them. Cut into wedges through the core.
• Slice the 1 onion. Put it in a bowl with the fennel wedges. This is the vegetable bowl.
• Smash the 4 garlic cloves. Put them in a small bowl with the 1 tsp fennel seed. This is the garlic bowl.
• Zest the lemon. Set the zest aside in a small dish.
• Measure the 1 cup white wine and the 1 cup chicken stock. Keep them separate.
• Set out a large oven-safe skillet, tongs, a plate for the chicken, a heatproof bowl for the extra fat, a wooden spoon, oven mitts and a thermometer.
• Everything is ready. Wash the board and put the knife away.

Ingredients

• 2 lb 4 ozbone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (6 thighs)
• 1 1/2 tspkosher salt
• 2 tbspolive oil
• 2fennel bulbs, cut into wedges
• 1yellow onion, sliced
• 4 clovesgarlic, smashed
• 1 cupdry white wine
• 1 cupchicken stock
• 1 tspfennel seed
• 1lemon, zested

Steps

1. Heat the 2 tbsp olive oil in the skillet over medium-high until it shimmers.
2. Lay the chicken in skin-side down. Don't move it.
3. Sear 8 minutes. Set a timer. Nothing to do until the timer goes. It's ready when the skin releases on its own and is deep golden.
4. Flip the chicken. Sear 3 more minutes. Set a timer.
5. When the timer goes, move the chicken to the plate.
6. Pour off all but about 2 tbsp of the fat into the heatproof bowl.
7. Add the vegetable bowl. Cook 6 minutes, stirring twice. Set a timer.
8. When the timer goes, add the garlic bowl. Cook 1 minute, until you can smell it.
9. Pour in the 1 cup white wine. Scrape the bottom of the pan hard.
10. Simmer 4 minutes. Set a timer. It's done when the wine has reduced by about half.
11. Add the 1 cup chicken stock. Bring it to a simmer.
12. Nestle the chicken back in, skin above the liquid so it stays crisp.
13. Put the skillet in the 375°F oven, uncovered.
14. Bake 35 minutes. Set a timer. While it bakes: make a side and clean up.
15. When the timer goes, check the chicken at the thickest part. It's done at 175°F. If not, bake a few more minutes and check again.
16. Take the skillet out with oven mitts. The handle is hot.
17. Scatter the lemon zest over the top.
18. Rest 5 minutes. Then serve.

Notes

The skin stays crisp only if it sits above the braising liquid — add less stock rather than more if your pan is narrow.