Organic Chicken Thighs with Israeli Couscous

I received a Dutch Oven for my birthday this year so I am trying to come up with some recipes to use it.  This recipe can be made in your favorite pot as well. I created  this recipe to use the ingredients from my Winter CSA and also to use up some ingredients in my fridge and pantry.  This recipe uses easy to find items, simple techniques and creates a complete dinner in one pot.  As always, I use organic ingredients but you can use conventional.  If you don't want the couscous, just leave it out.

Ingredients:

1 TBS organic olive oil
2.5 lbs bone in, skin on organic chicken thighs (8-10 thighs)


2 TBS kosher salt, divided into 1 TBS each
2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper, divided into 1 tsp each
1/2 white organic onion, diced
2 organic leeks, cleaned and sliced
8 oz organic mushrooms, sliced
5 cloves organic garlic, minced
1/2 cup red wine
1 tsp organic Italian seasoning
1 28 oz can organic tomato puree
1 organic Bay leaf
1 cup organic chicken stock
2 cups organic Israeli (pearl) couscous

Here's how:

In a dutch oven or large pot, heat the oil on medium heat.

Salt and pepper the meat with 1 TBS salt and 1 tsp pepper.

Once hot, add the thighs, skin side down and brown for 5 minutes per side. This may need to be done in 2 or 3 batches to avoiding steaming the meat and overcrowding the pan.  You want the meat browned not steamed.

Chicken into the pan, in the first batch

Cooking on the second side

Remove the chicken and set it aside.

Add the onion and leeks and saute for 1 minute.

Leeks and onions into the pot

Add the mushrooms and saute for 3-5 minutes until softened.

Mushrooms in

Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute.

Garlic in

After one minute

Add the wine and use your spoon to scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pot - this is where the flavors are.  Cook down the wine by one half - about 5 minutes. 

Scraping down the bottom and cooking down the wine

Wine is now reduced

 Add the remaining salt, remaining pepper, Italian seasoning, Bay leaf, tomatoes and chicken stock.

Ingredients going in

Everything in and stirred

 Nestle the chicken into the sauce, lower the heat to low, cover and cook for 1 hour.

Chicken in and covered with the sauce

Lid on and dinner is cooking

After one hour, add the couscous and cook for 15-20 minutes, until the couscous is cooked and soft.

After one hour.  You can stop here and eat it like this if you want

Couscous is added and ready to cook

Serve in a bowl and enjoy.

Ready to enjoy.  One pot meal