Baked Chicken with White Beans
This is a fabulous dish for a group of people. I served this with a risotto, a caesar salad and plenty of bread for sopping up the juices. I did, however, make a few changes to the original recipe.
It took much longer to brown the onions cooking them on a low heat to carmelize them. Right at the end I added 3 large garlic cloves, crushed, and just stirred them for 1 minute. I added about 3/4 cup of white wine to deglaze the pan before adding the rest of the ingredients. I transferred the mixture to a large baking pan and cooked the chicken until the skin was brown and crispy, keeping an eye on the juices to stop them from drying out. Just before serving I sprinkled over thinly sliced basil. It really was a great meal.
Baked Chicken with White Beans
6 bacon slices (1/4 lb total), cut into 1-inch pieces
4 large chicken thighs with skin and bone (1 1/2 lb total)
2 medium onions, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
1 (14- to 16-oz) can stewed tomatoes including juice
2 (15- to 16-oz) cans small white beans, rinsed and drained
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
Cook bacon in a 10-inch heavy ovenproof skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer bacon with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain, reserving fat in skillet.
While bacon is browning, pat chicken dry and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Brown chicken in fat in skillet over moderately high heat, turning over once, about 8 minutes total, then transfer chicken with tongs to paper towels to drain.
Pour off all but 3 tablespoons fat from skillet and reduce heat to moderate. Cook onions in skillet with 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring and scraping up any brown bits, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Stir tomatoes and juice into onions and boil, uncovered, 3 minutes, to concentrate juices slightly. Stir in bacon and beans and bring to a simmer. Nestle chicken, skin side up, in beans and bake, uncovered, until chicken is cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes.
Cooks' note:
If you don't have an ovenproof skillet, after simmering bean mixture transfer it to a shallow 2- to 3-quart baking dish, then add chicken and bake as above.
It took much longer to brown the onions cooking them on a low heat to carmelize them. Right at the end I added 3 large garlic cloves, crushed, and just stirred them for 1 minute. I added about 3/4 cup of white wine to deglaze the pan before adding the rest of the ingredients. I transferred the mixture to a large baking pan and cooked the chicken until the skin was brown and crispy, keeping an eye on the juices to stop them from drying out. Just before serving I sprinkled over thinly sliced basil. It really was a great meal.
Baked Chicken with White Beans
6 bacon slices (1/4 lb total), cut into 1-inch pieces
4 large chicken thighs with skin and bone (1 1/2 lb total)
2 medium onions, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
1 (14- to 16-oz) can stewed tomatoes including juice
2 (15- to 16-oz) cans small white beans, rinsed and drained
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
Cook bacon in a 10-inch heavy ovenproof skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer bacon with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain, reserving fat in skillet.
While bacon is browning, pat chicken dry and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Brown chicken in fat in skillet over moderately high heat, turning over once, about 8 minutes total, then transfer chicken with tongs to paper towels to drain.
Pour off all but 3 tablespoons fat from skillet and reduce heat to moderate. Cook onions in skillet with 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring and scraping up any brown bits, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Stir tomatoes and juice into onions and boil, uncovered, 3 minutes, to concentrate juices slightly. Stir in bacon and beans and bring to a simmer. Nestle chicken, skin side up, in beans and bake, uncovered, until chicken is cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes.
Cooks' note:
If you don't have an ovenproof skillet, after simmering bean mixture transfer it to a shallow 2- to 3-quart baking dish, then add chicken and bake as above.