Skillet Chicken With Rhubarb

By Melissa Clark

Skillet Chicken With Rhubarb
Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
1 hour, plus 1 hour standing
Rating
4(903)
Comments
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In this savory skillet dinner, rhubarb, onions and garlic are simmered with white wine and butter into a rich sauce for browned chicken parts. I call for a whole, cut-up chicken here, so you’ll have the different parts to choose from at the table. (Just be sure to watch the breasts carefully; they might finish cooking before the dark meat.) But you can use your favorite chicken part instead. Thighs and drumsticks work particularly well. This dish goes nicely with polenta, which also helps brighten the rather drab color of the brightly flavored sauce.

Featured in: Rhubarb Flaunts Its Savory Side

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 1(5½-pound) whole chicken, cut into eight pieces
  • 1tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon kosher salt, more as needed
  • 1teaspoon black pepper, more as needed
  • 5sprigs thyme, preferably lemon thyme
  • 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1bunch spring onions or scallions, white and light green stalks thinly sliced (slice and reserve greens for garnish)
  • 2stalks green garlic, thinly sliced, or 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • ½cup dry white wine
  • ¾pound fresh rhubarb, cut into ½-inch dice (3 cups)
  • 1tablespoon honey, or to taste
  • 2tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

1113 calories; 77 grams fat; 23 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 33 grams monounsaturated fat; 15 grams polyunsaturated fat; 16 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 81 grams protein; 1865 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Pat chicken dry and season with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Place in a bowl with the thyme sprigs and cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.

  2. Step 2

    Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove thyme from bowl with chicken, reserving thyme. Add chicken pieces to skillet and sear, turning occasionally, until golden brown all over, about 10 minutes. Transfer pieces to a platter.

  3. Step 3

    Reduce heat to medium. Stir in onion (white and light green parts) and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and reserved thyme; cook 1 minute more. Stir in wine and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits in the bottom of pan. Add rhubarb, honey, ½ teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper.

  4. Step 4

    Return chicken pieces to pot in a single layer. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes for breasts and 20 to 25 minutes for legs and thighs, transferring chicken pieces to a platter as they finish cooking.

  5. Step 5

    Whisk butter into rhubarb sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Spoon sauce over chicken and garnish with sliced onion greens.

Ratings

4 out of 5
903 user ratings
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Comments

drjaniegal

Delicious! I used 6 large chicken thighs, so cooked a little longer. But the rhubarb cooked down to a mush, so it wasn't as a pretty as the picture. I think I'll add it later next time. The flavors are great, just needed a wee bit of honey, probably not 1 Tb. (I'm not a sweet chicken fan.)

Jessica Dan

I threw in some pear with the rhubarb, and that flavour combination worked out really well. I barely used any honey, since I had less rhubarb than suggested, and the pear added a little bit of sweetness. I think ginger is a great idea though! It works really well with rhubarb and thyme, in general. Let me know if you try it out.

Lneufeld

This was wonderful. Used ramps in place of green garlic, used a little less rhubarb with a diced pear. Used FRENCH butter to whisk into sauce. Have been finding the European butters make a huge difference is sauces!

John in Portland

I browned the chicken, then baked (8 thighs). Removed half the fat then doubled the sauce and made in the skillet. Did not use thyme, I put in fresh grated ginger and used agave instead of honey. Loved it.

Karen

Excellent! Made as directed. Mine was quite tart with a shy 1 tablespoon honey. Husband suggests just slightly more. Might depend both in the variety of rhubarb and on the tartness of the wine.

Diana

Cooked this dish last night. I have always avoided rhubarb, I dislike the taste. But I decided to try this recipe, since I trust Melissa. I made a couple of small changes - I added a bit of cream to thicken and tame the sauce, and also added some sugar (to taste) to make it a bit sweeter. I find I now like rhubarb, at least as prepared in this recipe. Thanks, Melissa!

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