American | Grilled Chicken Thighs with Green Olives and Sherry Vinegar-Orange Sauce

Posted on May 17, 2011

Great combinations of flavors. This recipe is from a cooking class that I took based on Bobby Flay's recipes, I highly recommend his cookbook "Bobby Flay's Grill It!" There are lots of great recipes in it.

Yield: 4 servings

grilled chicken thighs with green olives and sherry vinegar-orange sauce

Ingredients

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 shallots, coarsely chopped

1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped

grated zest of 1 orange

2 cups orange juice (not from concentrate)

3 tablespoons aged sherry vinegar

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

2 fresh rosemary sprigs, plus extra for garnish

3 tablespoons honey

kosher sea salt, to taste

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

4 bone-in chicken thighs

1/2 cup picholine olives, pitted

Method

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the shallots and cook until soft and lightly golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the orange juice, zest, and vinegar and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the broth and rosemary and simmer until reduced by half and slightly thickened, 8 to 10 minutes.

Strain the sauce into a bowl, stir in the honey, and season with salt and pepper. The sauce can be made 1 day in advance, covered, and refrigerated. Reheat before using.

Heat grill to medium.

Brush the chicken on both sides with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the chicken on the grill, skin side down, and cook until golden brown and slightly charred, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the thighs over, close the cover of the grill, and continue cooking until just cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes longer.

Remove thighs to a platter and drizzle with some of the sauce. Tent loosely with foil and let rest for 5 minutes. Scatter the olives around the platter and garnish with rosemary sprigs. Serve additional sauce on the side.

Note: Chicken thighs are a bit fatty and have a tendency to catch fire, have a spray water bottle near by to put out flames.

(Ref. Sur La Table's "Grilled Chicken Thighs with Green Olives and Sherry Vinegar-Orange Sauce" recipe, "Bobby Flay's Grill It!" class.)