Bobby’s Chicken Provençal

September is one of our favorite times of year in the kitchen.Summer isn’t quite over, fall is beginning to make itself known, and gardens and local farm stands are overflowing with some of the best tomatoes of the season.

That’s when we make this Chicken Provençal. It’s one of those recipes that feels special enough to serve to friends but easy enough for a weeknight dinner for two.That’s how we like to cook: simple, generous food that brings people to the table without keeping you in the kitchen all evening.

The tomatoes are really the star here. They cook down with garlic, shallots, Herbes de Provence, white wine and capers into a rustic sauce. The chicken cooks right alongside everything, soaking up all those wonderful juices.

Serve it straight from the pot with couscous or rice to catch the sauce, a simple green salad and perhaps a crisp, cold white wine.Put it all on the table and let everyone help themselves.

Easy, delicious and made for sharing. Our kind of dinner.

Bobby’s Chicken Provençal

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

• 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 shallots, thinly sliced

• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced o 5 ripe medium tomatoes, roughly chopped

• 1 cup dry white wine

• 2 teaspoons Herbes de Provence

• 2 tablespoons capers, drained

• 1 bay leaf

• Fresh parsley or basil, roughly chopped, for serving

• Lemon wedges, for serving

Preparation

• Pat the chicken dry and season generously with salt and pepper.

• Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, skin-side down, and cook until deeply golden, about 6 to 8 minutes. Turn and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

• Lower the heat to medium. Add the shallots to the same pot and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, being careful not to let it brown.

• Pour in the white wine, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Let the wine simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.

• Add the tomatoes, Herbes de Provence, capers and bay leaf. Season with a little salt and pepper and stir to combine.

• Nestle the chicken back into the pot, skin-side up, along with any juices that have collected on the plate. Spoon a little of the tomato mixture around the chicken, leaving the crispy skin exposed.

• Transfer the uncovered pot to a 375-degree oven and cook for 30 to 35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the tomatoes have softened into a rich, rustic sauce.

• Remove the bay leaf, taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning. Scatter fresh parsley or basil over the top and serve straight from the pot with lemon wedges alongside.

NOTE: Don’t worry about making this too perfect.Use the tomatoes you have, add a little more garlic if you love garlic, throw in a few more capers if that’s your thing.Put the pot in the middle of the table, open the wine and enjoy.

Each month, Bobby Graham and Matthew Marden, owners of Dugazon in Sharon, share a recipe inspired by the traditions, stories and a sense of welcome.