Rosemary Chicken

Half the stuff I publish here is born out of ADD. Me wandering the grocery store is a dangerous thing. Shiny objects. Random vegetables. Or, in today's case, herbs.

In a quintessential moment of distraction, I grabbed some fresh rosemary while out and about, deciding I needed it in my life. Despite the fact I've inadvertently killed all my rosemary plants, rosemary is one of my favorite herbs. There are few better roasted potato recipes than those featuring rosemary.

Rosemary also happens to be one of my favorite names; I love roses, I love multiple songs named "Rosemary" or relating to the name (see: Deftones - "Rosemary", Edison Lighthouse - "Love Grows Where my Rosemary Goes", Interpol - "Rosemary"). Rosemary itself is native to the Mediterranean (and on a personal note, every time I am drawn to something and then find out it ties back to Greece, it all makes sense to me). The name translates to "dew of the sea". Beautiful, right? 

The herb itself is a strong one. One I often think of with mashed potatoes or chicken. You have to be careful in the use because of the potency; using rosemary in the wrong dish can completely alter the flavor. The herb is also used for its scent in lotions and perfumes.

In the ongoing trend of evolving out of the cookie cutter chicken breast recipes, I got chicken thighs at the same time as the rosemary. The pieces began coming together. Thighs have continued to prove themselves moist and flavorful, and I'm stickin' with it. I did opt for skinless, but for this recipe, skin-on would be an excellent choice - it can be cooked to a crisp and keep the moisture in the chicken.

After tossing them in salt and pepper, I cooked the chicken thighs first in some oil in a cast iron skillet. I cooked them just enough to brown the outside, but not until they were cooked throughout. The oven roasting would take care of that. I set the chicken aside and cooked the mushrooms next. I used baby bellas as they are strong in flavor, but white mushrooms would work, too. I added some garlic and cooked that for another minute or so.

I moved the mushrooms to the side of the pan and added some more butter, then added the flour and mixed the flour and butter while it cooked, creating a paste (this part reminded me a bit of making a gumbo roux). I slowly added the wine and let it heat to a simmer, then added the broth and rosemary and let it cook for a few more minutes. Then, I returned the chicken to the pan and topped it with some fresh rosemary sprigs.

The final step was to put it in the oven to finish the cooking for about 30 minutes.

Oh boy. This looks as pretty as it tasted. Truth be told, I lost most of my photos. Photographer error. I've never done it before, but in the process of changing cameras, I managed to overwrite the originals before saving them. The good news, however, is that I had sent a few to my phone, and the recipe was saved!

The chicken turned out moist and full of flavor. I actually cooked this one rather randomly, late one evening when I had some time. I wasn't even hungry but I had to try. It was superb, and that mushroom gravy was on point. Pan seared and oven roasted was the perfect choice for chicken thighs, and made for a simple one pan dinner.

Rosemary Chicken Recipe

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons cooking oil (I used avocado)
1.5-2 pounds chicken thighs (I used boneless/skinless, but that's up to you)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried parsley

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup (8 ounces) sliced mushrooms (white is fine but I used baby bella)

1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)

1 tablespoon flour

1/2 cup chicken broth or stock

2/3 cup white wine (dry preferred - I used Pinot Grigio)

3-5 sprigs fresh rosemary

Rice or mashed potatoes for serving

Instructions:

Heat oil in a cast iron skillet to medium heat and add cooking oil. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Salt both sides of the chicken with salt, pepper, and seasonings. Sear the chicken for 3-5 minutes per side to brown, but not cook throughout. Remove from pan and set aside. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan, then add mushrooms. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until they begin to soften, then add garlic. Continue cooking for 1-2 more minutes, until garlic becomes fragrant. Add the remaining butter to the pan and push the mushrooms aside. Add flour and whisk the flour into the broth. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until it is a light brown, then add chicken broth and wine to the pan and 2 tablespoons (about 2 sprigs) rosemary leaves. Whisk to combine and heat to a simmer for a 2-3 minutes. Return chicken to the pan and top with some additional rosemary sprigs as available. Place in the oven and heat for 30-35 minutes, or less time if using chicken breasts.

adapted from garlic rosemary chicken thighs