Braised Chicken Thighs with Ancho Peppers and Andouille Sausage

- ⅓ cup paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Kosher salt
- 1½ pounds skinless chicken thighs
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large white onions (about 1 pound total), cut into 1-inch dice
- 6 garlic cloves, smashed
- 2 ancho peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ½-inchwide strips
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup Chicken Stock or high-quality canned low-sodium chicken broth
- ½ pound andouille sausage, cut into ½-inch slices
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, plus 6 sprigs for garnish
Instructions:
This dish improves with a day of sitting, so prepare it ahead if possible. Also, if fat is a concern, a day of refrigeration makes it easy to scrape off the layer of fat that rises to the top of the dish.
- Mix the paprika and cayenne pepper in a large bowl. Sprinkle the thighs all over with salt. Add the thighs to the bowl and toss until evenly coated with the pepper mixture.
- Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the thighs and sear for 5 to 7 minutes. Your aim is to get a good sear on the outside of the thighs, not cook them through. Turn the thighs over and sear the other side for 2 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and keep warm.
- Add the onions, garlic, and ancho peppers to the pan and cook until they begin to brown, about 8 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and chicken stock and reduce the liquid by a third, about 7 minutes.
- Return the chicken to the pan, add the sausage, cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the chicken is almost falling off the bone, about 1 hour. Adjust the heat if the braising juices are boiling. If the dish cooks too fast, the chicken will dry out.
- When the chicken is done, the pan juices should be thick enough to serve as a sauce. If they’re too thin, transfer the chicken to a platter, increase the heat to medium-high, and reduce the juices to the desired consistency. Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper if necessary. Stir in the chopped cilantro.
- Place the thighs on a warm platter. Spoon the sauce over them, garnish with the sprigs of cilantro and serve.