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Braised Chicken and Figs with Honey Gastrique

Braised Chicken and Figs with Honey Gastrique

This braised chicken and figs recipe comes from Judy Rodgers Zuni Cafe. Its sauce has a good hit of vinegar giving a rich, sweet & sour taste.

Braised Chicken and Figs with Honey Gastrique 

Print This Recipe Total time Yield 4Source Barely adapted from Judy RodgersPublished
Braised Chicken and Figs with Honey Gastrique

Ingredients

  • 4 chicken thighs with legs attached
  • 1 pinch kosher salt (plus more as needed)
  • 1 pinch freshly cracked black pepper (plus more as needed)
  • 4 onions
  • 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 1 cup chicken stock (more or less according to the size of your pan)
  • 8 fresh figs (halved lengthwise)
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Directions

Separate legs and thighs if you like, but I don’t. Pat chicken pieces very dry. Season with salt and pepper. Cut top half-inch off onions. Peel onions, and quarter them vertically, cutting only a bit off the root end so each quarter stays intact.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Heat butter in a heavy ovenproof skillet, preferably one large enough to hold chicken in a single layer. Over medium-high heat, brown chicken well on both sides. If skillet is not large enough to hold all the chicken, brown it in stages, and transfer it to a roasting pan that will hold it all.

Tuck onion quarters, thyme and bay leaves around chicken. Add white wine and enough chicken stock so liquid is about ½‑inch deep in pan. Place chicken in oven, and cook until chicken is done, about 40 minutes.

Remove from oven to stove. Place figs around the chicken. Place pan over medium-high heat, bring contents to a simmer, and cook a few minutes until sauce starts to get syrupy. Warm honey and vinegar in a small saucepan, and drizzle over chicken. Turning chicken in pan, cook a few minutes more, basting with pan juices.

Remove bay leaves, check seasonings, and serve, dividing the ingredients so each plate gets a chicken leg and thigh, and 4 pieces each of fig and onion.