Recipe: Chicken Thighs in White Wine & Garlic

I’m slowly coming round to chicken thighs. Don’t get me wrong, I really appreciate that they have so much more flavor than breast, and they are far more tender too. Not to mention that they are considerably better for my budget. But I just hate eating chicken with the bone in, particularly in stews. Instead I decided to make a lighter dish with them, and whilst its not changed my mind 100% I’ll happily make this again, so I’m getting there!

Now, I’m not going to claim this dish is particularly thrifty, but it didn’t cost an awful lot,  it was extremely simple, and for a Friday night would make a perfect romantic dinner for two. We used one of the cheapest white wines we found (£4 a bottle) and it was actually a very nice wine, we really enjoyed drinking it too. Served with vegetables and some fresh bread, it really doesn’t need much on the side so I’d say its on the pricey side of thrifty – not a splash out meal, but not one for when you’re scrambling down the backs of sofas for every spare penny. Anyway, its delicious and I highly recommend you try it.

Ingredients (Serves 2 generously, 3 with some potatoes)

• 1 pack of chicken thighs (6)
• Oil/butter for frying
• 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 300ml white wine
• Splash of cream
• 1 handful fresh thyme, chopped
• Salt & pepper

Firstly, fry the chicken over a high heat in the oil until golden. Best to do this in batches. I’m pretty terrified of spitting oil, so this bit was stressful for me, but wearing oven gloves and using long tongs helped. I would advise frying the skin side down first. Keep the chicken warm whilst you prepare the sauce.
Turn the heat to low, and fry the garlic for a minute or two. Don’t let it brown or it will be bitter. Add a little butter to the pan if it is dry. Add the wine, and bubble until halved – this gets rid of the alcohol content and stops the dish tasting entirely of wine.
Add the cream, followed by the time, and stir in some seasoning.
Nestle the chicken back into the sauce, making sure the skin is above the surface.
Cook uncovered at 200C for about 25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked (pierce the thickest part; juices should run clear).
Whilst the chicken is cooking, prepare any accompaniments. We went for broccoli and baby corn, and some freshly baked bread – it was all the two of us needed, and along with a glass of wine each it was a lovely summery meal.

What’s your favorite summer dinner?