Chicken Thighs With Roasted Figs and Grapes
A flavorful dish with Jewish heritage. In the bustling, cosmopolitan and largely secular city of Tel Aviv, Shabbat is less religious ceremony, more casual family-and-friends time. Friday mornings are spent shopping and cooking, and by late afternoon a quiet calm descends on the city.
“Shabbat is a state of mind,” said Adeena Sussman, who hopes her cook book can inspire people from all walks of life to enjoy the essential benefits of Shabbat. “The togetherness, the conversation, the ritual of the dinner—that’s the centerpiece.
In the Song of Songs, also known as the Song of Solomon, a seductive verse reads: “The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me.” This luscious recipe harnesses the sweetness of both figs and grapes by roasting them in the skillet with the chicken.
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¾ cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons grainy Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons silan (date syrup)
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon chile flakes
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (2¼ pounds), patted dry
2 small onions, each cut into 8 wedges
¼ cup white wine for the dish
1/2 cup white wine for the cook
6 large or 8 medium figs
½ pound red grapes
6 thyme sprigs, plus chopped thyme for garnish
1.- Set a rack 6 inches from broiler. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, whisk broth and cornstarch until dissolved. Whisk in mustard, silan, honey, lemon juice, salt, pepper and chile flakes.
2.- Season chicken generously with salt. Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, skin-side down, and brown until skin is crisp and fat renders, 5 minutes. Flip and cook 1 minute more. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil.
3.- Add onions to skillet and brown until undersides are golden, 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook 1 minute more. Transfer to plate with chicken.Add wine to skillet and cook, stirring and scraping up bits from pan, until wine reduces by half, 2 minutes. Add broth mixture, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook until thickened and reduced slightly, 3-4 minutes. Return chicken and onions to pan. Nestle figs and grapes among chicken pieces and scatter thyme sprigs around skillet. Spoon some sauce over chicken, cover with foil, and cook in oven until sauce begins to thicken and figs and grapes begin to soften, 20 minutes. Remove chicken from oven, uncover, and raise temperature to 425 degrees. Spoon sauce from pan on top of chicken and return to oven. Roast until figs and grapes are slightly caramelized and chicken skin is deep mahogany in color, 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped thyme.
— Adapted from “Shabbat: Recipes and Rituals From My Table to Yours” by Adeena Sussman (Avery) in the WSJ September 8, 2023