We were inspired to try our spin on this one-skillet braised chicken dish from the moment we peeped our (salivating!) eyeballs on Colu Henry’s recently featured recipe in NY Times Cooking. Being an Italian/Indian household, this sublime (and easy!) one-skillet meal hit all the “YES PLEASE!” marks at our blended dining table! We’ve adapted it here, using our Due Cellucci Traditional Sauce and other changes. We think you’ll love it as much as we did!
Ingredients
• 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, at room temperature
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 tablespoons of quality coconut oil (olive oil is great too!)
• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
• 3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 (2-inch) nob of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes (*we added a full teaspoon for extra hot!)
• 1 jar of our Due Cellucci Traditional Sauce (Arrabbiata or Tomato Basil Great too)
• 1 can of full-fat coconut milk
• 10-20 ripe cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• Steamed Basmati rice, for serving
• 3 tablespoons of roughly chopped cilantro or basil
• Fresh limes, quartered, for serving
Preparation
1. Pat chicken thighs dry, season with salt and pepper. In a deep large skillet or cast iron, heat oil over medium-high. When the oil shimmers, add the chicken thighs, skin-side down, and cook until nicely browned – 5 to 6 minutes. You can check to make sure you’re not burning the skin side after about 2-3 minutes into the searing. Turn and brown the other side, 4 to 5 minutes more. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
2. Turn heat to medium-low, add the red onion and cook until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, cumin, cinnamon, coriander, and red pepper flakes, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Season with some salt and pepper.
3. Add in one jar of your preferred Due Cellucci sauce (we used Traditional) and add in the can of coconut milk. Stir all until combined, scraping along bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits. Place chicken thighs back into the skillet along with any juices that have accumulated, skin-side up. Simmer, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly, about 10-15 minutes.
4. Sprinkle in the halved cherry tomatoes among the chicken thighs, and simmer for another 2-3 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper, adjust as needed.
5. Serve chicken on top of bowls of rice, spooning additional sauce all over. Top with chopped cilantro or basil and squeezed lime, if you like.