French onion chicken with gruyère

• 680 g boneless skinless chicken thighsabout 8 thighs, patted dry
• 3 large yellow onionshalved and thinly sliced
• 30 g unsalted butter
• 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp black pepperfreshly ground
• 6 fresh thyme sprigs
• 3 garlic clovesminced
• 80 ml dry white wineor dry vermouth
• 120 ml store-bought chicken broth
• 1 tbs dijon mustard
• 120 g gruyère cheeseshredded

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F). Season chicken thighs on both sides with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and the black pepper.

2. 2

   Heat the olive oil and half the butter in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat until the butter foams and the foam subsides. Add chicken thighs smooth-side down and cook without moving until deeply golden brown with crispy edges, about 5 minutes. Flip and sear the other side until golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate.

   Tip: Don't crowd the pan — work in batches if needed. The fond on the skillet bottom is liquid gold for flavor.

3. 3

   Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining butter to the skillet. Add the sliced onions and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally and scraping up the browned fond from the chicken, until onions are deeply golden, jammy, and collapsed, about 10 minutes.

   Tip: If the onions start to stick too aggressively, add a splash of the broth to deglaze and keep going.

4. 4

   Add the garlic and strip the leaves from the thyme sprigs directly into the pan. Cook, stirring, until fragrant and the garlic softens, about 1 minute.

5. 5

   Pour in the white wine and let it bubble until nearly evaporated and the pan smells sweet rather than boozy, about 1 minute. Stir in the chicken broth and dijon mustard, scraping any remaining bits from the bottom. Let the liquid simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.

6. 6

   Nestle the seared chicken thighs back into the skillet on top of the onions, golden-side up. Pile the shredded gruyère evenly over the chicken. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the cheese is bubbling and deeply golden in spots and the chicken registers 74°C (165°F) on an instant-read thermometer, about 8-10 minutes.

7. 7

   Remove from the oven and let rest for 3 minutes — the juices will redistribute and the bubbling cheese will set just enough to hold together when you plate.

   Tip: Keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat covered in a 180°C (350°F) oven until warmed through, about 15 minutes.

• oven-safe skillet (30cm (12-inch))

Per serving

Nutritional values are estimates only.