French Onion Chicken Thighs

• porties: 6 servings
• actieve tijd: 10 minutes
• totale tijd: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingrediënten

6 pieces chicken thighs, (bone-in, skin on)

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 tablespoons salted butter, (divided)

kosher salt, (to taste)

garlic powder, salt-free, (to taste)

onion powder, salt-free, (to taste)

freshly cracked black pepper (to taste)

2 pounds yellow onion, (halved and thinly sliced)

1 tablespoon thyme, (finely minced)

5 cloves garlic, (minced)

⅔ cup dry white wine, (I use Sauvignon Blanc)

2 teaspoons dijon mustard

½ teaspoon worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon flour

1¾ cup beef stock, (low sodium)

1 bay leaf

¾ cup gruyere cheese, (freshly grated)

½ cup comte cheese, (freshly grated)

Instructies

Adjust oven rack to the middle. Select "keep warm" setting on oven. If your oven does not have this setting, proceed with the recipe.

Remove chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. Clean and pat dry thighs using a paper towel. Season all sides generously with salt, black pepper, garlic, and onion powder.

Add olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet (11-inch) over medium-high heat. Once the butter melts, add chicken thighs, skin side down. Cook untouched for 5-7 minutes or until skin is golden brown and crispy. Flip chicken and cook for an additional 10 minutes, adjusting the heat is the bottom is browning too quickly.

Transfer chicken from the skillet to a plate and cover with foil. Place in the oven with the "keep warm" setting on.

Discard all but 2 tablespoons of oil from the skillet and discard any loose dark bits of seasoning (pepper, garlic, or onion powder) left behind. Fond, which is the dark pieces stuck to the pan are fine and can be left on the skillet.

Over medium heat, add the remaining butter. Once melted, add the onions and stir every few minutes. Do not rush this process, caramelizing onions takes 45-60 minutes. As you cook the onions, take care to not let the mixture brown too quickly, rather it should slowly brown over time. If the mixture dries out, add 1½ teaspoons of water at a time and stir.

Once onions are deep brown in color, stir in the thyme and garlic. Cook for two minutes or until fragrant.

Carefully remove the chicken from the oven and preheat oven to 350°F.

Stir in the white wine and cook until the liquid reduces by about half, 4-5 minutes.

Stir in flour and cook until the mixture slightly thickens, 1-2 minutes.

Add dijon and worcestershire sauce and stir until dijon blends with the onion mixture.

Add beef stock and bay leaf. Scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the skillet. Bring the mixture to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook until the liquid slightly reduces, about 6-7 minutes. Season caramelized onion mixture to taste with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

Return chicken and its juices to the skillet. Bring the mixture to a boil then transfer, uncovered, to the oven.

Bake for 20 minutes. Check internal temperature of chicken and make sure it registers 165°F. Remove skillet from the oven then top evenly with shredded cheese. Return to the oven and change oven setting to "BROIL".

Keep a close eye on the skillet and remove from oven once cheese completely melts, 1-3 minutes.

Garnish with thyme and serve immediately over rice, with crusty bread, mashed potatoes, or salad. Enjoy!