Braised Chicken Amatriciana

1. Prep

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels and season with salt. Slice the shallots and garlic, then dice the bacon.

2. Sear Chicken

In a heavy ovenproof pot or Dutch oven, heat the avocado oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken thighs to the pot and sear until golden brown on both sides, about 10 minutes on the skin side then another few minutes on the other side. Remove the chicken and set aside.

3. Render Bacon

In the same pot, add the diced bacon and cook until crispy, about 5-7 minutes.

4. Sweat Aromatics

Reduce the heat to medium, add the sliced shallot and garlic to the pot, and cook, stirring, until they are soft and fragrant but not browned, about 2-3 minutes. Then add the Calabrian chili and cook for another minute.

5. Deglaze

Pour in the white wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Let the wine reduce by about 75%, about 5 minutes.

6. Add Cooking Liquid

Stir in the canned crushed San Marzano tomatoes. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.

7. Braise Chicken

Return the chicken thighs to the pot, nestling them into the sauce. Cover the pot with a lid and transfer it to the preheated oven. Braise until the chicken is tender, about 30 minutes to 1 hour.

8. Finishing Ingredients

Once the chicken is tender, remove the pot from the oven. If the sauce is too thin, simmer on the stovetop until it thickens to your desired consistency. Stir in half of the chiffonade basil, reserving the rest for garnish.