Braised Chicken & Succotash

Herby, bright, and succulent.

Prep:

• Season 4-6 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs generously on both sides with salt, pepper, and paprika. Let them sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes if you can.

• Dice 1 large carrot, 1 large stalk of celery

• Thinly slice a shallot

• Finely mince half of a large red onion, 1 green bell pepper, and 1 small jalapeno

• Cut the kernels off of four ears of corn

• Smash 8 garlic cloves with the side of your knife and peel. Chop finely

• Slice 1 lemon into thin rounds and set aside a bit of zest for garnish

• Cut 1 roma tomato into small cubes

• Cut 1 zucchini or squash into small cubes

• Chop half a handful of parsley and a couple of mint leaves

• Measure out 3/4 cup of white wine, and 3/4 cup of chicken stock

  Cook (do the chicken and succotash concurrently):

  CHICKEN:

• Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

• Add the chicken thighs, skin-side down, and sear until golden brown and crisp, about 5–7 minutes. They should lift easily when ready to turn. Flip and sear the underside briefly. Remove to a plate.

• In the same pan, add the carrot, celery, and shallot. Sauté for 4–5 minutes, scraping up the fond.

• Add the 2/3 of the garlic, lemon slices, a tied bunch of springs of fresh thyme and rosemary. Sprinkle in dried oregano. Cook until fragrant, 1–2 minutes.

• Pour in the white wine and deglaze the pan, scraping up any bits. Let it reduce slightly (1–2 minutes), then add the chicken stock.

• Nestle the chicken back into the pan, skin-side up. Keep the skin above the liquid so it stays crisp.

• Simmer uncovered or partially covered on low for about 35 minutes, until the chicken is tender and the liquid has reduced into a rich, spoonable sauce.

• Finish with 1 tbsp butter and a squeeze of fresh lemon. Taste and adjust salt.

• Garnish with lemon zest, fresh thyme leaves, or chopped parsley

  SUCCOTASH:

• Heat olive oil in a non-stick pan over high heat

• Toss in the zucchini or squash with the mixture of onion and peppers. Give it two minutes then toss in 1/3 of the garlic. Turn down the heat to medium and stir frequently until the peppers have some charring and the onion starts to turn translucent

• Put the mixture into a serving bowl and season with salt, pepper, Cavender’s Greek Seasoning and Italian herbs. Cover.

• Toss the corn kernels into the pan. Stir regularly. Add more olive oil if needed. Add in half of the parsley.

• The corn is ready when it smells sweet and has some charring

• Add the corn to the mixture in the bowl. Add in tomatoes. Sprinkle in some feta. Add the rest of the parsley and the mint.

• Taste for salt and pepper.

  Options:

• Add lima beans or peas to the succotash

• Use whatever fresh veggies you have!

• Adjust the jalapeno (+/-) for spiciness

  Sides:

• Basmati rice or fingerling potatoes