Uncle Samy's Onion Chicken

Seves 6 to 8

My aunt Phoebe’s late husband, Uncle Samy, was a passionate cook who had a knack for turning the simplest ingredients into a meal. This five-ingredient chicken was one of his signature dishes that my cousins and I always looked forward to.

The key to perfecting this dish is to make sure the onions are cooked down and caramelized to a deep golden brown, while being careful not to burn them. Just watch and toss the onions around, managing the heat until they are ready.

Here I serve it over a big salad with blocks of feta, bread, and a bowl of Torshi (page 261). If Uncle Samy saw it this way, he’d teasingly say I ruined it with all the embellishments, and we’d have a big laugh. Every time I make this chicken, I think of him.

INGREDIENTS 

The Mediterranean Dish: Simply Dinner Suzy Karadsheh

• Extra-virgin olive oil

• 4 large yellow onions, sliced into ½-inch rounds

• Kosher salt

• 8 large bone-in chicken thighs (about 2 pounds), skin removed

• ¼ cup chicken stock, homemade or store-bought, or water, plus more if needed

DIRECTIONS

1. Set a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 to 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the sliced onions and season with salt (about ½ teaspoon). Sauté the onions, stirring often until they collapse and release their juices, turning a beautiful deep golden brown in color, about 20 minutes. Stir often and adjust the heat as necessary to make sure the onions soften and caramelize without burning. It does help to cover the pan for a bit, as this traps the steam and helps soften the onions as they release their juices.

2. Meanwhile, pat the chicken thighs dry and season well with salt on both sides (about 1 teaspoon).

3. Once the onions are nicely caramelized, push them to the edges of the pan. Add the chicken, meaty side down, and sear on both sides until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Do not cover the pan this time. (If the pan feels crowded, you can move the onions on top of the chicken so that there is enough room in the pan for the chicken to brown well.)

4. Once the chicken is nicely browned, add the stock or water. (You should have some juices in the pan from the chicken and the onions, too.) Start with ¼ cup of liquid and add more if needed to keep a saucy liquid in the pan.

5. Turn the heat to medium and cover the pan. Cook for about 30 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked through and an instant-read meat thermometer inserted in the center of the chicken reads 165°F. Serve hot with the onion sauce spooned over the chicken.

Reprinted with permission from The Mediterranean Dish: Simply Dinner by Suzy Karadsheh copyright © 2024. Photographs by Caitlin Bensel. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC.

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