Three Martini Chicken
A bracingly cold martini is one of life's little joys. The classic martini is made with gin and dry Vermouth, and the ratio of these two ingredients is a source of passionate debate and varying personal tastes. And then there are those of us who are not ashamed to admit that we also order vodka martinis (this is seen as a sin among martini purists, but turns out it's really easy not to care what people think about you when you have a martini in your hand). Regardless of the base spirit I pick, I always order my martinis extra-dry with a twist and olives because more is more.
This martini chicken recipe was born mostly out of the practical need to make more of a dent in that massive bottle of dry Vermouth in my fridge. Vermouth is a fortified wine, making it the perfect liquid for chicken to take a warm bath and braise in until fall-apart tender. The vodka sauce brightened with lemon zest and rounded out with a couple dollops of butter and mascarpone is lick-the-plate good; but the low-key real star of this dish is the the creamy and subtle Castelvetrano olive (aka the only olive that matters to me). Drinking a martini while you make this dish is practically a requirement, making this a perfect dish to cook with friends on a lazy Sunday.
- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 medium yellow onions
- 8 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/3 cups dry vermouth
- 2 bay leaves (optional)
- 1/2 cup vodka
- 3 whole lemons for zesting, divided
- 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pea-sized pieces
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 heaping cup (6.35 ounces) whole, pitted Castelvetrano olives
- 2 tablespoons mascarpone (or cream cheese in a pinch)
- 1 peeled garlic clove, for microplaning
- 1 handful whole flat-leaf parsley leaves