Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Place the dried mushrooms in a small bowl and pour enough boiling water over to just cover them. Set the mushrooms aside to soak.
- Place the pancetta or bacon in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook until browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the onions and cook another minute until they start to soften. While this cooks, pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Push the pancetta and onions to one side of the pan. Turn the heat up to medium-high, add the chicken skin-side down in a single layer (working in batches if needed), and cook until the fat renders and the skin is crisp and golden-brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Flip the chicken skin-side up and drain off any excess fat.
- Add the carrots, garlic, tomato paste, wine, chicken broth, bay leaves, and thyme to the skillet. Lower the heat so the liquid just barely simmers. Cover the skillet and cook until the chicken is cooked through and an instant-read thermometer reads 165°F, about 20 minutes.
- Transfer the chicken pieces to a serving platter. Skim any excess fat off the top of the liquid in the skillet. Remove the mushrooms from their soaking liquid and add them to the pot. Pour the mushroom liquid through a fine sieve or cheesecloth into the pot to remove grit. Turn the heat up to high and boil the mixture until the sauce reduces by a third to a half. Remove the bay leaves and thyme.
- A few minutes before serving, put the chicken pieces back into the sauce to reheat. Serve each chicken thigh topped with a ladle of sauce and garnish with chopped parsley leaves or a whole parsley sprig.
Notes
For make-ahead convenience, you can cook the chicken and sauce completely, cool it, and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop before serving.