Crispy Braised Chicken Thighs With Cabbage And Bacon Recipes

CRISPY CHICKEN THIGHS WITH BACON AND WILTED ESCAROLE

Steps:

• Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Place chicken thighs, skin side down, in skillet and cook, pouring off excess fat from time to time, until skin is browned and crisp, 10-12 minutes. Turn chicken over and cook until cooked through, 8-10 minutes longer. Transfer thighs to a cutting board or large plate.
• Pour off fat from skillet (no need to wipe it out) and increase heat to medium-high. Cook bacon, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. Add shallot and 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes and toss to coat. Add escarole in large handfuls, letting it wilt slightly before adding more. After the last handful goes in, remove pan from heat and toss greens to coat (some will be tender, some a little crunchier).
• Divide escarole among plates and top with chicken. Squeeze lemon over and top with more red pepper flakes.

CHICKEN WITH BACON AND CABBAGE

Steps:

• Fry bacon until golden in a heavy three-quart casserole. Remove bacon from pan and drain on absorbent paper.
• Dry chicken pieces and brown them well, a few at a time, in the bacon fat in the pan. Remove chicken and set aside. Pour all but one tablespoon of the bacon fat out of the pan.
• Saute the onion in the one tablespoon of bacon fat over low heat until soft but not brown. Add the garlic and saute a few minutes longer. Add the vinegar and deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned particles. Add the cabbage to the pan, cover and cook over very low heat until the cabbage is wilted, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Stir in the wine, thyme, pepper and the bacon. Return the chicken to the pan. Cover and simmer over low heat about 35 minutes, until the chicken is done.
• Arrange the chicken on a serving platter. Arrange the cabbage mixed with bacon alongside or around the chicken, draining it well to leave as much cooking liquid as possible in the pan. Cover to keep warm.
• Briefly boil down the cooking liquid to thicken it slightly. Off heat, swirl in the butter bit by bit. Spoon some of the sauce over the chicken and the rest over the cabbage before serving.