Delicious Dinner: Chicken Provencal w/ Orange Zest Gremolata

This is one of those dishes that requires crusty bread to mop up the sauce.

It is originally from Cook's Illustrated, but since they don't publish their recipes on the web, and I don't subscribe to the magazine, I took it from Angela's Food Love, who made it her own by making an orange zest gremolata instead of lemon and adding some of her own flair to the recipe. Therefore, I am calling it Angela's recipe (BTW, where are you Angela? I haven't seen a post in a while).

Gremolata is traditionally a topping for osso buco, made w/ lemon zest and parsley. Here, it's the orange zest that gives this dish a new twist (I sound like a salesperson).

I am normally against using boneless, skinless anything, but here, I was thankful that I didn't have a mess on the stove from frying all that chicken.

I changed the recipe a little bit, adding less or more of this or that.

This is a perfect company dish, because it can be made ahead, and reheated just before serving.

Provencal Chicken w/ Orange Gremolata (adapted from Angela's Food Love):

10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup pitted Nicoise or Kalamata olives
olive oil
1 onion, cut up
1 cup white wine
1 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons tomato paste
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 anchovy (don't skip this)
1 pinch of cayenne
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
1 teaspoon fresh marjoram, minced
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp orange zest
kosher salt & pepper


For the Gremolata:
2 tablespoons orange zest
1 small bunch parsley, minced fine
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 tsp olive oil
pinch of sea salt

Make the gremolata by combining the ingredients in a small ramekin and set aside. You will use this to top the chicken with.

Season the chicken thighs w/ kosher salt & pepper on both sides.

Heat some olive oil in a large heavy skillet and cook the thighs for about 4 minutes on each side. Since they are skinless, I always find that they stick a little to the pan, just use a fish spatula to turn them. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

In the same pan, heat the onions for 2 minutes, then throw in the garlic and anchovy and cook about 3 minutes on medium heat.

Add the cup of white wine and turn up the heat. Deglaze the pan, scraping up the brown bits and pieces of chicken left in the skillet, with a wooden spoon.

Now add the chicken stock, tomatoes, olives, bay leaf, tomato paste, 1 tbsp of orange zest, cayenne and thyme and bring to a boil.
Add the chicken pieces back in the skillet and place the lid on. Simmer this for 25 minutes.

The sauce should be reduced a bit, and thicker in consistency.

Spoon pieces of chicken into shallow bowls and ladle the sauce on top. Garnish with the gorgeous gremolata and serve with pieces of crusty bread.

Delicious!

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