This menu has ingredients found in most Mediterranean meals, like lemon, orzo and feta, and adds a few surprises like the rich mushroom gravy and tangy arugula salad. There's a perfect balance of light and fresh with rich and decadent (hello gravy!) that turns this traditional Greek casserole dish into a modern day menu.
Ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on (you can also use chicken breasts)
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 6 tablespoons butter
- Salt and Pepper
- ½ pound fresh cremini mushrooms (you can also use button mushrooms)
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup chicken stock
- ½ cup white wine (dry or chardonnay, do not use sweet for this)
- One 10 ounce bag frozen artichoke hearts, defrosted
- LEMON ARUGULA SALAD
- ½ bag of fresh arugula
- 2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Salt and Pepper
- Garnish: freshly chopped parsley
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lay all the chicken on a sheet pan lined with foil. Season generously with salt and pepper. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a large cast iron skillet, add the onion then add the chicken (skin side down) and cook until the chicken is nicely golden brown. This should take about 5-7 minutes per side. Turn the chicken and continue to cook until browned on the other side, another 5-7 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken and onions and place in a 9x13 pyrex. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet. Once melted, add the mushrooms and sauté for 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour over the mushrooms and stir to incorporate. Add the stock and wine and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Once the mushroom mixture is nice and thick (it should be a gravy-like consistency), turn the heat off.
Distribute the artichoke hearts among the chicken pieces, then pour the mushroom sauce mixture over the artichoke and chicken. Be the sauce is evenly distributed.
Bake for about 40 minutes, until the chicken is completely cooked through. Keep an eye on it during cooking time, and if the chicken starts getting too browned, cover with foil and continue cooking.
To Make the Salad: Place the arugula in a bowl. Add the olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Toss to mix. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed. I tend to like a lot of lemon to cut through the richness of the chicken dish, so feel free to add as much (or as little) as you like.
Serve immediately and top each serving with some of the arugula salad.
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