Blue Shutter Taverna · Main dishes

Chicken Stifado with Pearl Onions, Red Wine & Buttered Orzo

Name: Chicken Stifado with Pearl Onions, Red Wine & Buttered Orzo
Total time: 100 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 500 g Pearl onions or small shallots; 8 whole Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 1.2 kg); 1.75 tsp Salt; 0.5 tsp Black pepper; 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil; 4 cloves Garlic; 2 tbsp Tomato paste; 250 ml Dry red wine; 2 tbsp Red wine vinegar; 400 g Canned crushed tomatoes; 250 ml Chicken stock; 1 whole Cinnamon stick; 3 whole Whole cloves; 2 whole Bay leaves; 1 tsp Dried oregano; 300 g Orzo; 20 g Butter; 10 g Fresh parsley

Golden chicken thighs braised with sweet pearl onions in a glossy red wine and tomato sauce warmed with cinnamon, cloves and bay, spooned over buttery orzo.

100 minutes · Easy · 4 servings

Original house recipe · Not yet kitchen-tested

Ingredients

Pearl onions or small shallots500 g
Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 1.2 kg)8 whole
Salt1.75 tsp
Black pepper0.5 tsp
Extra virgin olive oil2 tbsp
Garlic4 cloves
Tomato paste2 tbsp
Dry red wine250 ml
Red wine vinegar2 tbsp
Canned crushed tomatoes400 g
Chicken stock250 ml
Cinnamon stick1 whole
Whole cloves3 whole
Bay leaves2 whole
Dried oregano1 tsp
Orzo300 g
Butter20 g
Fresh parsley10 g

Quantities describe recipe usage, not package sizes.

Allergen notes

Wheat (orzo) and milk (butter). Wine contains sulphites. Check stock labels for celery, gluten and other allergens.

Method

Peel the onions

Put the pearl onions in a heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water and leave for 2 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water, trim the root ends and slip off the skins, keeping the onions whole.

Brown the chicken

Pat the chicken dry and season all over with 1 tsp salt and the pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the thighs skin side down for 6–8 minutes, until deep golden, then turn for 2 minutes. Work in batches if needed. Move them to a plate and pour off all but about 2 tbsp fat. Wash your hands after handling the raw chicken.

Build the sauce

Lower the heat to medium. Add the onions and cook for 6–8 minutes, rolling them around, until browned in spots. Stir in the sliced garlic and tomato paste for 1 minute. Pour in the wine and vinegar, scraping up the browned bits, and bubble for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, stock, cinnamon stick, cloves, bay leaves, oregano and 1/2 tsp salt.

Braise until safe

Return the chicken and its juices to the pot, skin side up and sitting above the liquid. Simmer gently, partly covered, for 30 minutes, then uncover and simmer for 15–20 minutes more, until the sauce is thick and glossy and the chicken is very tender. The thickest thigh, measured near the bone, must read at least 74°C (165°F); braised thighs are most tender around 85°C (185°F). Fish out the cinnamon stick, cloves and bay leaves.

Cook the orzo and serve

About 15 minutes before the chicken is ready, cook the orzo in a pot of boiling water with the remaining 1/4 tsp salt for 8–10 minutes, or as the package directs. Drain and toss with the butter and half the chopped parsley. Spoon the orzo into warm bowls, top with the chicken, onions and sauce, and scatter with the rest of the parsley.

Stifado should taste rich and gently sweet-sour, so taste the sauce at the end and add a few more drops of vinegar or a pinch of sugar to balance it. Frozen peeled pearl onions save 10 minutes; add them straight from frozen. It reheats beautifully the next day; bring leftovers back to 74°C (165°F).

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