Braised Chicken with Rosemary and Sage

1. Prepare Chicken

Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels to ensure they brown properly, then season them generously with coarse kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

2. Brown Chicken

In a heavy large, deep frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot but not smoking, add the chicken pieces. Cook them until they are golden brown on both sides. Once browned, transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.

3. Caramelize Onions and Pancetta

Pour off most of the fat from the pan, leaving about a tablespoon. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, then toss in the finely chopped onion, the onion pieces, and the pancetta. Sauté them over medium heat until the onions are nicely browned, which should take about 8 minutes.

4. Add Herbs and Tomato Paste

Stir in the fresh rosemary, sage, bay leaves, cloves, and tomato paste, cooking for another minute to meld the flavors.

5. Deglaze Pan with Wine

Pour the dry white wine into the pan to deglaze it, scraping up all those browned bits from the bottom. Bring the mixture to a boil, which helps to evaporate the alcohol and concentrate the flavors.

6. Simmer Chicken

Return the browned chicken pieces to the pan and pour in the chicken broth. Once the broth is added, allow the mixture to come to a simmer. Cover the pan and let the chicken cook gently. For the breasts, simmer for about 20 minutes; for the thighs, an additional 15 minutes is needed. Finally, reheat the breast pieces for about 3 minutes to ensure everything is warm and cooked through.

7. Serve

Serve the chicken pieces with the rich, aromatic sauce spooned over them, making sure to include some of those delicious caramelized onions and pancetta bits in each serving. Enjoy the layers of flavors developed through this careful yet straightforward process.