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Sorrel Chicken

Simply LuxuriousSimply Luxurious
Adapted from Susan Herrmann Loomis's Rabbit with Sorrel recipe, enjoy a luscious and full-flavored sauce finished with sorrel which complements a classic chicken dish.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 4 chicken thighs bone-in, skin-on
  • 3-5 ounces pancetta thickly diced
  • 1-2 Tbsp extra virgon olive oil for the pan
  • 1-2 medium sweet onions sliced thinly
  • 3/4 cup dry white wine select a wine you will be enjoying with your meal
  • 2 bay leaves fresh if possible, dried works well also
  • 2-4 cups fresh sorrel leaves roughly chopped (substitute with lemon zest and juice - 1-2 lemons)
  • 3/4 cup crème fraîche heavy whipped cream is a substitute
  • fleur de sel & freshly ground black pepper for seasoning

Instructions
 

  • Using a Dutch oven or large skillet fitted with a cover (to use later). Over medium heat, add the olive oil and then the pancetta to brown.
  • Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside. Season (salt and pepper) and pat dry the chicken thighs. Place the thighs into the skillet/Dutch oven to brown on both sides, but not to cook through. About 4-5 minutes on each side. Don't forget to season the second side. When all sides are brown, remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. (While the chicken is browning, chop up your onions.)
  • Add the onions to the same skillet. Stir intermittently, about 8 minutes until they are nearly translucent and soft. Still over medium heat, add the white wine to the skillet with the onions. Scrape the brown pieces stuck to the pan so they become loose (do not remove). Add the bacon and the chicken back to the pan with the onions. Add the bay leaves and bring to a boil. Once boiling, immediately reduce to medium. Cover the skillet/Dutch oven and cook over medium heat until the chicken is cooked through. Approximately 20 minutes in total, flip the chicken after 10 minutes have passed.
  • While the chicken cooks on the stovetop, find your sorrel (whether picked fresh from the garden or from the store). Chop roughly.
  • Once the chicken is cooked through, remove the chicken from the pan and place on the intended serving platter. Remove the bay leaves and bring the sauce to a medium-high boil. Keep the until the sauce reduced by about half and is thick. Then stir in the crème fraîche, and warm up the sauce until it is steaming as initially the crème will cool the sauce.
  • Stir in the chopped sorrel to the sauce and let it incorporate for about 4-5 minutes. The sauce will change color to a light, olive-color green. This is good. Your sauce is gaining the flavor of the sorrel - a citrusy, lemon flavor.
  • Taste the sauce and season as necessary, and add more salt and/or pepper if needed.
  • Place the chicken and the juices on the platter back to the sauce. Let the chicken be covered with the sauce to warm them thighs back up. Cooking over medium heat, this should take about 3-5 minutes.
  • Now it is time to dine! Place the chicken on a platter, spooning the sauce over the thighs. An option is to cook pasta and place the chicken on top of a bed of pasta. The sauce is ample and will taste wonderfully with the chicken and the pasta.
  • Enjoy!