This hearty meal of chicken thighs in a quick pan sauce is simple for weeknights, yet elegant enough for guests. The natural jam-like sweetness of fresh figs blends with the tart vinegar and briny olives to make a delicious chunky pan sauce in minutes. Use crusty bread to sop up every drop.
North Carolina has hundreds of different fig varieties, some growing in places where no other fruit trees can flourish. If you aren’t lucky enough to have figs in your backyard or know neighbors eager to share their bounty, you can still find fresh figs at local farmers markets across the state.
To gauge the ripeness of fresh figs, check their texture, shape and aroma. Underripe figs stay hard and will not ripen. Perfectly ripe figs are plump and shapely with smooth skin. Dead ripe figs are quite soft and might have split skins, which can work for preserves but are not the best choice for eating raw.
Pan-Seared Chicken Thighs with Fig Pan Sauce
Makes: 4 servings
- 4-6 large bone-in chicken thighs with skin
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Zest of 1 lemon cut into wide strips
- 3-4 short rosemary sprigs
- 1 cup shallots or red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- ½ cup dry sherry
- 2 cups fresh ripe figs, stemmed and quartered
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- ½ cup pitted ripe green olives, such as Castelvetrano or Cerignola
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- Finely grated lemon zest and chopped rosemary leaves for garnish
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Trim away any loose skin from the sides of the thighs, leaving skin covering the tops. Sprinkle salt and pepper all over generously.
2. Warm the olive oil in a large oven-proof skillet (preferably cast-iron) over medium-high heat. Add the chicken skin-side down and let cook undisturbed until the skin is deeply browned, about 6 minutes. Flip and add the rosemary sprigs and lemon zest to the pan.
3. Transfer to the oven. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 175 to 185 degrees, usually 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a plate and cover loosely with foil to keep warm.
4. Return the pan to the stovetop over medium-high heat. Discard the lemon zest and rosemary stems. Stir the shallots and brown sugar into the pan drippings and cook until beginning to soften, 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often.
5. Pour in the sherry and scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen the browned bits. Stir in the figs. Simmer about 2 minutes until the liquid reduces a little, stirring often. Stir in the vinegar, pepper flakes and olives.
6. Return the thighs and any accumulated juices to the pan and simmer gently until warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes.
7. Garnish with lemon zest and rosemary. Serve warm.
Sheri Castle is the host of The Key Ingredient, an Emmy Award-winning show from PBS North Carolina. She is also an award-winning food writer, recipe developer and cooking teacher. The Southern Foodways Alliance named her one of 20 Living Legends of Southern Food, calling her The Storyteller. She grew up in Watauga County and now lives in Chatham County. Keep tabs on her at shericastle.com.
