Valencian Chicken With Citrus And Vermouth
Looking for a chicken recipe with a little Mediterranean magic? 🍊This Valencian-inspired citrus chicken brings together juicy chicken thighs, fresh Spanish citrus, aromatic thyme, smoky paprika and a generous splash of vermouth for a rich, beautifully balanced sauce.
Equipment
- Orange juicer
- Cutting board
- Chef knife
- Cooking Tongs
- Large Skillet or olla de hierro
Ingredients
- 1 kg / 35 oz. bone-in chicken thighs or a mix of legs and thighs
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 100-150 ml / 3.4-5fl oz. Valencian vermouth
- 1 tbsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground white pepper
- 400 ml / 13.5fl oz. fresh citrus juice – a mix of orange grapefruit, mandarin
- ½ cup green olives
- A few stalks fresh thyme
- Salt to taste
Instructions
Step 1 - Brown chicken thighs
- First, we start by seasoning the chicken thighs generously with salt.1 kg / 35 oz. bone-in chicken thighs, Salt to taste
- Add the olive oil to the skillet over a medium-high heat.4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Next, we will add the chicken and brown on all sides, around 4-5 minutes per side.
- Remove the browned chicken from the pan and set aside for use later.
Step 2 - Deglaze pan
- There will be plenty of rendered fat from the chicken in the skillet. Keep it all.
- Pour in the vermouth and let it bubble away for a minute or two, scraping the bottom of the pan to release the flavor.100-150 ml / 3.4-5fl oz. Valencian vermouth
- The alcohol from the vermouth will burn off as it evaporates, and once it has evaporated to around half the quality, move on to step 3.
Step 3 - Build sauce
- Reduce heat to medium.
- We add the freshly squeezed citrus juices (we used orange and mandarin) and the dried thyme, sweet smoked paprika, white pepper, and stir through.1 tbsp dried thyme, 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika, 400 ml / 13.5fl oz. fresh citrus juice – a mix of orange, 1 tsp ground white pepper
- Bring to a simmer and then add the chicken pieces back to the skillet.
- Add the green olives around the chicken pieces.½ cup green olives
Step 4 - Simmer
- Keep the heat medium, a low simmer is ideal and rotate the chicken thighs a few times as it cooks. You will want to simmer for around 40-50 minutes or until the sauce has reduced to around half.
- Once done, rest the chicken for around 10 minutes so the sauce can thicken slightly.
- Optionally, you can continue to simmer the sauce longer until it has your desired consistency.
Step 5 - Serve
- Serve onto a large serving platter, then drizzle the sauce over the chicken thighs.
- We love to serve this dish with some steamed rice and some steamed green beans for a balanced meal option.
- (Optional) Garnish with some fresh sprigs of thyme and serve with a glass of Vermouth, wine or sherry.A few stalks fresh thyme
Notes
🇪🇸 WHAT MAKES THIS RECIPE SPECIAL?
⌛Ready in just over 1 hour with 5 minutes prep
🍊 Fresh orange, mandarin and citrus juice
🍗 Tender, bone-in chicken thighs
🍸 Valencian vermouth for a rich, aromatic sauce
🫒 Green olives for a savory Mediterranean finish
🌿 Thyme, smoked paprika, and white pepper for extra flavor
🍗 Tender, bone-in chicken thighs
🍸 Valencian vermouth for a rich, aromatic sauce
🫒 Green olives for a savory Mediterranean finish
🌿 Thyme, smoked paprika, and white pepper for extra flavor