Roasted Chicken Thighs with Grapes and Pearl Onions

Valentine’s Day is Saturday. Be honest, Bryan and I are not really into Valentine’s Day. We think it has been commercialized by all the retail companies. Everyday can be sweet and special for you and your sweetheart. This is no need to dedicate a day to show your love. The gift, the flower, the surprise can be happened any day at any time. It is more special that way. BUT, I love to use Valentine’s Day as an excuse to make dessert for Bryan! I am thinking about baking him some chocolate chip cookies. He loves those! He keeps complaining that I am too busy trying new recipes and never have time for those cookies. So, I am sure he will be happy this weekend.

I have a story related to Valentine’s Day. Two days ago, the air conditioning in Bryan’s car just went out. Completely gave up. When Bryan called the car dealership to schedule an appointment, he asked to take in the car on Saturday. The woman on the phone changed her tone of voice from nice to one with attitude. She said, “Just a reminder. It is Valentine’s Day.” Of course Bryan knows, and he said “Oh, trust me. I know.” The woman giggled. I bet she was thinking something like “Men always forget the important days! Horrible!” HAHA! But to me, getting the car fixed is way more important than Valentine’s Day.

This chicken dish has nothing to do with Valentine’s Day. It is a really good dish. The chicken was juicy and tender with a little sweetness from the balsamic. The roasted grapes paired so well with the savory chicken. If you haven’t tried roasted grapes, you are missing out! They are like juicy raisins! So amazing! The port sauce was reduced and savory, which tied the whole dish together. Give this a try!

Roasted Chicken Thighs with Grapes and Pearl Onions (Adapted from Serious Eats)

2 servings

Ingredients:

–   2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs and drums

–   1 tablespoon olive oil

–   1 ½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar

–   1 cup red seedless grapes

–   1 garlic gloves (peeled and thinly sliced)

–   ½ cup white pearl onions (peeled and halved)

–   3 tablespoon white or tawny port

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375˚F (190˚C).
2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
3. In a large oven-safe pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, add ½ tablespoon olive oil. Add the chicken with the skin side down and sear until lightly golden brown. Turn off the heat and turn the chicken over. Drizzle with ½ tablespoon olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the chicken.
4. Put the pan in the oven and cook for 10 minutes. Baste the chicken with the juices in the pan. Add the grapes, garlic and pearl onions. Return to oven and cook, basting every 10 minutes. Cook until chicken is cooked through, about 40 minutes.
5. Remove the pan from oven and set over the stove. Remove the chicken, pearl onions and grapes to a serving plate. Cover with aluminum foil. With a large spoon, remove as much of the oil in the pan. Turn on heat to medium. Pour in the port. With a wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the pan and cook until the liquid has reduced like a sauce, about 5 minutes. Pour the sauce into a sauce bowl. Serve immediately along with the chicken, grapes and pearl onions.

Tips:

1. Peeling pearl onions is not the same as peeling regular onions. Watch this video to learn how to do it easily.
2. If you can’t find port, you can substitute with white zinfandel or early harvest Riesling.

Source: Read