How to Braise Anything and Italian Chicken Thigh Stew

How to Braise Anything

1. Brown the meat, and remove from pan.
2. Add aromatic vegetables, and sauté until tender.
3. Deglaze the pan, scraping the browned bits from the bottom.
4. Return the meat to the pan, and add liquid to partially submerge the meat (the liquid should come at most halfway up the sides of the meat).
5. Cover and simmer until meat is tender.

So try this Italian Chicken Thigh Stew, and then try getting creative and applying the same method with different ingredients. Maybe use lean beef stew meat with onion, celery, carrots, red wine, and beef broth. You’ll see that with an understanding of the basic method, you CAN cook WITHOUT a recipe!

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Italian Chicken Thigh Stew

Servings 4 servings

Author Jessica Ivey, RDN

Ingredients

• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (28-oz.) can diced tomatoes
• 1/3 cup white wine
• 1/3 cup pitted and halved kalamata olives
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil

Instructions

1. Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a Dutch oven (or large deep skillet with a lid) over medium-high heat. Add chicken, in batches if necessary; cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. 

2. Add onion and garlic to pan, and sauté 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and wine; bring to a simmer. Return chicken to pan, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 12 to 15 minutes or until chicken is done. 

3. Stir in olives and basil. Serve chicken and sauce over pasta.