Braised Oregano Chicken

Servings: 4  

INGREDIENTS

  • 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
  • A small handful of herbs (like thyme, marjoram, bay)
  • Salt
  • 1 head of garlic, peeled
  • 1 tablespoon oregano, preferably Mexican
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 3 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil, plus more for browning the chicken
  • 1 to 1/2 cups of your favorite salsa, for serving
  • 1 large lime, cut into wedges, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

Braise the chicken. Lay the chicken into a very large (12-inch) skillet skin-side up.  Sprinkle generously with salt.  Scatter the herbs around and pour in just enough water almost cover the chicken—the skin should still be sticking out.  Set over high heat.  When the water just hits a simmer, reduce the heat to between medium and medium-low.  Cover the skillet (you can use a baking sheet if your skillet doesn’t have a lid) and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, usually 20 to 25 minutes.  (Test a piece by cutting to the bone: there should be hardly a trace of red.). 

Make the garlic-oregano marinade.  While the chicken is cooking, put the garlic in a small, microwave-safe bowl, cover with water and microwave for 1 minute.  Drain and place either in a large mortar or food processor.  Add the oregano, Worcestershire and oil.  Crush/process to a smooth puree.  When the chicken is done, remove it to a plate or rimmed baking sheet, keeping it skin-side up.  Pat dry with paper towels.  Pour off the liquid from the skillet (it’s delicious chicken broth, so you’ll want to save it), then wash and dry it.  

Brown and serve the chicken.  Set the skillet over medium-high heat and generously film the bottom with oil.  When the oil is hot, lay in the chicken thighs, skin-side down.  When the skin is crisped and browned, 4 to 5 minutes, flip them over and evenly smear half the marinade over  the browned skin.  After a couple of minutes, when the underside is browned, flip the chicken back over and smear the underside with the rest of the marinade.  Let cook a minute, flip a final time to sear the marinade to the underside of the chicken.  Serve with salsa and lime wedges to squeeze on.