Our massive fig tree is doing it’s due diligence and providing an ungodly amount of fruit for us, once again this year. So, it’s time to get creative and bring my best fig game. I’ve made plenty of sweet dessert things with figs over the years, but at my core I am a savory girl. I really love a good savory dish that highlights the rich, sweet flavor of this beautiful fruit.
These Skillet Roasted Chicken Thighs with Balsamic Fig Compote may seem like a fancy, fussy meal, but ready in just about 30 minutes means you could make this on a weeknight, even. Oooh, you fancy!
The bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs get nice and crispy on the stove top, cooked up in a little ghee or olive oil, seasoned with just a little salt and pepper, you tuck some shallots in between and top with the compote and into the oven it goes. That’s it. A little sweet and a little tart, with the perfect fragrance, the balsamic fig compote makes the perfect sauce to the chicken. I like to serve with just a wee bit of crumbled sheep’s milk feta cheese as the creamy, tanginess it’s the perfect compliment.
If you have any leftover compote or you have enough figs to make extra, save it to spread on toast, crackers or on an epic sandwich or use as a topping on panna cotta, yogurt or even ice cream.
Skillet Roasted Chicken Thighs with Balsamic Fig Compote
Ingredients
Balsamic Fig Compote
- 1 pound fresh figs, cut into quarters
- 3 tablespoons local honey
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 pinch of sea salt
Skillet Roasted Chicken Thighs
- 2 lbs bone-in, skin-on organic, pasture raised chicken thighs (about
- 2 tablespoons ghee or olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 2 small or 1 medium shallot, peeled and sliced
- 4 ounces crumbled sheep's milk feta, for garnish (optional)
- roughly chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400ºF.
- Combine figs, honey, balsamic vinegar, water and salt in a heavy bottomed stainless steel sauce pan. Cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir often to soften, mash and thicken fresh fig compote.
- Meanwhile in a large cast iron skillet or other heavy bottomed oven safe skillet, melt ghee or heat oil over a medium-heat, till hot but not smoking.
- Nestle all the chicken thighs into the skillet, skin side down and sear the thighs without moving them for 5-7 minutes or until nicely browned. Turn the thighs over in the pan so they are skin-side up and turn off the heat.
- Place shallots in between the chicken thigh pieces in the pan and top with the compote. Place in the skillet into the preheated oven and cook for 15-20 minutes (depending on their size) or until the internal temperature of the chicken thighs reach 165°F.
- Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Top with a little crumbled feta, if you'd like. Serve and enjoy.
