Chicken Thighs with Sundried Tomato Cream Sauce

Bae Rating: 4/5. This is purely creamy, dreamy comfort food. This is the perfect meal to cuddle bae from the inside out after a long day at work. Plus, making risotto is comparable to Harvard Rowing practice, so they'll love you for it. Hopefully. If not, #YouNeedToCutIt

Vibes: Golden - NAO

Ingredients

Crispy Chicken Thighs:
~2 lbs of Chicken thighs (4), skin on

1 Tablespoon of each:
Black pepper
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Sweet Paprika

1/2 tbs of dried oregano
1/2 tbs of sea salt
1/3 cup of vegetable oil

Sundried Tomato Cream Sauce:
1 ½ cups of sundried tomatoes, rehydrated and chopped*
2 tbs of fresh basil, plus extra for garnish
3 ½ cups of heavy cream
1 cup of dry white wine
1 cup of chicken stock
1 ½ tbs of tomato paste
2 big cloves of garlic, minced
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 tbs of honey
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

Pat the chicken thighs dry and set aside. And by pat them dry, I mean really pat them dry. I usually layer a few paper towels on top and underneath to soak up as much liquid as possible. It seems like a waste of time, but your chicken skin will be extra crispy.
Mix the seasonings together, and apply it to both sides of the chicken
Place the sundried tomatoes in hot water for 5 minutes, drain and chop
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan (I use cast iron, but a heavy frying pan will work too!) on medium high heat for 2-3 minutes. Medium high is about a 7/10 on your stovetop.
Place the seasoned thighs, skin side down, into the pan in sets of 2 for about 2-3 minutes per side, or until crispy and golden brown. Listen for the sizzle, and take your time! Crowding too much into the pan will steam the chicken, and undo all your hard work drying the skin out. Soggy skin is not the move.
Flip the chicken and briefly cook the other side until browned. Remove from the pan, and cook the next 2 thighs. Set aside.
Drain the excess oil from the pan. With the heat still on, add the white wine and scrape the bottom of the pan. There will be a lot of steam and sizzle, which is fine. Just keep scraping!
Turn the heat down to medium-low heat (4/10), and add the diced onion, and sundried tomatoes. Stir until the onions are translucent, then add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
Add the chicken stock, tomato paste and cream, and turn the heat back up to 6/10. Stir until the sauce is creamy pink, and the sauce bubbles.
Season your sauce to taste with salt and pepper. If it’s a little acidic, add the tablespoon of honey and taste again. Be careful not to over-season, the sauce will reduce slightly in the oven and concentrate the flavors
Once your sauce is perfect , add the chicken thighs back in and cook at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until the chicken reaches 175.
Garnish with the reserved basil, plate on top of risotto (recipe found here) and serve hot.