Hello my friends, happy Tuesday! I hope those of you stateside had an amazing holiday weekend! I’ve got a recipe for you that I’ve made twice now, and am completely obsessed with. It’s my first time sharing a meat dish- and I’m new to cooking meat, but I’ve had to learn. I’ve felt so much better since I started increasing my protein a year and a half ago. I’ve always shared what I eat here, but I’ve never posted a meat based recipe because I haven’t felt like I’ve cooked anything overwhelmingly good- or even good enough to share. But, this chicken is divine. This chicken is a favorite. It’s sweet, salty, savory and hits all the right spots. I told Lou I think it might be one of the best things I’ve ever cooked. Which is a bold statement to make right before your husband is about to take his first bite. Ha! Recipe below, I hope you enjoy! xx- Sarah
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons grass-fed ghee
- 2 lbs pasture raised, humane certified chicken thighs
- 1 lb pasture raised, humane certified chicken legs
- 2 heaping cups of thinly sliced shallots
- 1 heaping basket of juicy, sweet figs- stems removed and quartered
- 1/4 cup of dry cured black olives, pitted and halved
- 6 sprigs of thyme (ore to garnish)
- 3 cloves garlic
- sea salt
- black pepper
- 6 sprigs of thyme
Instructions
- Rinse chicken thighs and legs. Pat dry and sprinkle with sea salt and cracked black pepper.
- Place ghee in a dutch oven and heat over medium heat. Add chicken (you will need to braise in 3 batches, or more depending on the size of your pot). Cook chicken over medium heat until browned, and then turn to brown on other side. Be careful not to burn your chicken- lower heat if you think you may be burning. Take your time. Repeat until all chicken is browned.
- Remove all chicken from pot. Add shallots, stirring to coat in the ghee, and cook until soft. And a sprinkle of sea salt and stir.
- Add figs and cook an additional two minutes. Add a splash of water and stir to ensure that all of the browning goodness that was stuck to the bottom of the pot has been released.
- Return chicken to pot. Add thyme leaves, olives and garlic cloves. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper.
- Add just enough water to halfway cover the chicken. Cover pot and cook for 60- 75 minutes over low heat, or until chicken is cooked through. It should come off the bone easily.
- Serve over rice, smashed potatoes or on it's own (we skipped the starch, happy to eat it as it was).
- Enjoy!
You have a lot of vegan recipes here, so I was really upset to see this. More and more people are following a vegan diet not only for their health, but for the environment and to end animal cruelty. So it was a bummer to see that you posted this recipe.
Hi Jean. Sorry to hear that you were upset. As I’ve shared here very openly, I did used to follow a primarily vegan diet, but after multiple Dr’s advised me to start incorporating animal protein back into my diet I did (to date I’ve had 7 health care practitioners, both eastern and western, make the exact same recommendations based on my blood results, physical exams and clear understandings of my entire health history). If you’ll notice in the recipe I did recommend humane certified and organic chicken, as that’s what I eat. I’ve never hid anything- I’ve been completely transparent on the site about all of my dietary choices.
What upsets me is the belief that there is ONE way, that there is a RIGHT way, that there is a WRONG way. We’re all different, our needs are unique (and evolving), what works for one person may not work for the next.
I hope that you never face the health struggles that I have. I hope that you can continue with your vegan diet and feel great, as I would have loved to. I hope you will continue to champion the rights of animals. I also hope that you’ll open your mind to the possibility that it does more harm than good to condemn people for their choices.
LOL, what a RIDICULOUS comment.
this sounds divine, excited to give it a try! every single one of the recipes i’ve tried from your site have been awesome, can’t wait to see more meat dishes
Yay!! Hope you love it! Thanks Amber!
I rarely comment but felt compelled to because of Jean’s comment, above. I’ve never gotten the impression that any of the choices you’ve made about your diet are done lightly. I have really appreciated your candidness in talking about your illnesses and your recovery and am always impressed with your willingness to share these things. I used to follow you because of the pretty food and interiors (and photos!) but have stuck around because you’re genuine, and that’s a hard thing to find on the internet. Keep doing what you’re doing. Also, this chicken is totally going on next week’s meal plan.
Thank you Kayce, I really appreciate the support!! So happy to hear that you’re enjoying the site!! I promise I’ll continue to do nothing but my best, and be exactly who I am.
Enjoy the chicken! xx
Here here, Kayce!!
Beautiful recipe!
I’ve been searching for ways to incorporate figs into my recipe repertoire
http://lifeandcity.tumblr.com
Figs sound like they would be divine in this recipe!
This looks amazing! I may have to try it this weekend. I am ready for some more fall type foods and roasted chicken always fits the bill for me.
http://www.peonyandgrahams.com
this sounds amazing! Can’t wait to try it… All the best flavors in one dish. And for the record I’m so excited to see more animal protein recipes pop up on your site (especially chicken, fish and pork) Every one of your recipes I’ve ever tried has been delicious and I’m sure your meat based dishes will be the same. I can’t even begin to explain how much better I feel (prob about 1.8 billion times better) eating a diet primarily composed of veggies (greens!!!), healthy fats and a couple servings of animal protein a day. Getting the sugar, gluten and dairy out of the picture while focusing on the other three has made a world of difference. Cheers to you and your health and thanks for sharing your journey.
Oh how I am smitten by your honesty, candor, strength and ability to reinforce the laws of the universe when confronted by those who clearly choose otherwise. Thank you for all that you are and represent! Now, onto this plate of goodness. Quick question, how many servings does this recipe make?
Jennifer I would say about 4 servings- depending how hungry you are!
So happy you’re enjoying the site! xx
I was so inspired by this recipe that I made it last night and it IS delicious! My husband loved it too. So great to get ideas on how to incorporate figs into recipes, so I really appreciate this one. Also, so glad you will be incorporating meat protein dishes. I think the variety is great. Thank you again!
I made this chicken tonight for dinner and it was SO good! Thank you for publishing this recipe. It’s creative, healthy, and easy to make. I served it with sautéed spinach instead of a starch and my husband and I both really enjoyed it.
I’m glad you are feeling better and wish you all the best.
i just made this tonight and it was soooo good! But mine turned out more saucy than your pictures with figs getting cooked down to almost like jam consistency. Still delicious!
Thank you for posting it!
Hi Sarah! This looks amazing! Also, your golden cutlery is exactly what I’ve been looking for for a while now! Where did you get it from?