Ingredients:

  • 680g (1.5 lb) chicken thighs
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin Greek olive oil
  • 1 large red onion, finely diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 120ml (0.5 cup) dry white wine (Assyrtiko or Sauvignon Blanc)
  • 400g (14 oz) canned crushed tomatoes
  • 1 tsp dried Greek oregano
  • 0.5 tsp red chili flakes
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 170g (6 oz) Greek feta cheese, crumbled
  • 0.25 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper
  • 1 fresh lemon, cut into wedges

Instructions:

  1. Season the chicken thighs aggressively with salt and pepper. Pat the 680g of chicken thighs bone dry with paper towels and season both sides with 0.5 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp black pepper. Note: Dry skin is the only way to get a true crunch.
  2. Turn the heat to medium-high. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Place chicken skin side down and cook for 6-8 minutes until the skin is golden and crackling. Allow the fat to render slowly until the skin becomes golden and crispy. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside; the chicken will not be fully cooked at this stage.
  3. Reduce heat to medium. In the rendered chicken fat and olive oil, sauté the diced red onion and cinnamon stick until the onion is translucent and fragrant. Add the smashed garlic and cook for another minute. In the same pan, toss in the diced red onion. Cook for 4 minutes until softened and translucent, scraping up the brown bits from the chicken. Stir in the 4 smashed garlic cloves, 1 tsp oregano, 0.5 tsp chili flakes, and the cinnamon stick. Toast for 1 minute until fragrant and bold.
  4. Deglaze the skillet with the dry white wine, scraping the bottom with a wooden spatula to release the browned bits (fond). Let the wine reduce by half. Pour in 0.5 cup of dry white wine. Let it bubble and reduce by half until the sharp alcohol scent disappears.
  5. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, dried oregano, and red chili flakes. Return the chicken thighs to the pan, nestling them into the sauce skin-side up. Stir in the 400g of crushed tomatoes. Return the chicken to the pan, nestling it into the sauce but keeping the skin above the liquid line.
  6. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Top with crumbled feta cheese and fresh parsley. Serve directly from the skillet with lemon wedges. Lower the heat to medium low and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the chicken reaches an internal temp of 74°C (165°F). Remove the cinnamon stick. Sprinkle 170g of crumbled feta over the sauce around the chicken. Cover for 2 minutes until the feta is soft and glistening. Remove from heat. Squeeze fresh lemon wedges over the top and scatter 0.25 cup of chopped parsley.