Levantine Braised Chicken

What of this chicken dish I’ve been making? I believe I started making it in Florida where nearly every day, we were grilling. However, there are times when you’re tired of seeing folks around the community grill and prefer to stay in, braise some meats, watch a Seinfeld, and call it a day. This dish requires a little time, some thyme, and your favorite braising greens and mustard. Mine will always be Swiss chard and Dijon but you can use what you like.

INGREDIENTS

Chicken
- 4 chicken legs or thighs (legs require a larger saute pan)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2-3 tablespoons of za'atar
- salt and pepper

The Rest
- 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2-3 medium carrots, chopped
- 2-3 celery stalks, chopped
- Bunch of Swiss chard (or kale, collards, etc.)
- handful of fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon of dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons of champagne vinegar
- 3/4 cup or so of water or chicken stock (stock tastes better)
- salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS
1 - Place your chicken in a mixing bowl and add za’atar, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Refrigerate for at least two hours.

2 - Turn the oven onto 375º. Chop all of your vegetables and place a large saute pan on high heat. Add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Brown the meat on both sides and remove.

3 - Add all vegetables and saute for 1-2 minutes. Add champagne vinegar, thyme, and mustard (and a little water/stock if needed to unstuck the fond), and salt and pepper.

4 - Place the chicken back into the pan by pushing aside the vegetables so each piece of chicken is touching the bottom of the pan (it doesn’t have to be perfect). Add the water/stock and bring to temperature. You want enough liquid so that it reaches about halfway up the meat but not covering the skin.

5 - Cook for 45 minutes. At the end, if the skin isn’t crispy enough, turn the broiler on and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Serve with rice, bread, or eat on its own.