Rishia Zimmern’s Chicken With Shallots

This is a perfect recipe for these times; an excellent one-pot dinner loaded with flavor. And from an amusing source! Andrew Zimmern dines on bugs on television as host of Bizarre Foods” on the Travel channel, but when home in Minnesota he favors his wife’s favorite chicken dinner, based on a Martha Stewart recipe. You will need some bread or rice to sop up the wonderful rich sauce.

My friend Deb sent this me when her husband (who has been known to complain about how much chicken he gets served) raved about it. And the first time I made it, Brittany stopped by with the boys for a change of quarantine scene, and I sent her home with half of it. Within a few hours a text came asking for the recipe.

My shallots were quite large, so I sliced them in half and used fewer. I added the tomatoes after I removed the lid instead of at the end, so they would soften and cook in the sauce and would recommend that. Don’t skip the final 15 minute simmer after you remove the lid; that’s when the sauce thickens and the flavor develops. You could make this ahead and reheat it easily.

8 bone-in, skin-on or skin-less boneless chicken thighs

2 Tbs. all-purpose flour

1 Tbs. kosher salt

1 Tbs. black pepper

2 Tbs. unsalted butter or butter/olive oil combination

12 to 15 whole medium shallots, peeled

2 cups white wine

2 Tbs. Dijon mustard

2 tarragon sprigs (or rosemary)

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the flour, salt and pepper over the chicken. Melt the butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or skillet set over medium-high heat. When butter foams, cook the chicken in batches if necessary until well-browned and crisp. Set chicken aside.

Add the shallots to the pot and saute them in the butter and chicken fat until soft and caramelized, about 10 to 12 minutes. Add the wine to deglaze and stir in mustard and herbs; then add back the thighs. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove lid and allow sauce to reduce and thicken, 15 to 20 minutes.Add the cherry tomatoes to the pot, stir lightly to combine and simmer a bit more if desired. 4-6 servings