"Get Yo' Man Chicken" Gina Neely

The title of this recipe instantly made me want to try it out, after all the way to a man's heart is partly through his stomach.

This is one the recipes that Gina made for Pat when they were courting. She states, "The key to the dish is the scent it gives off while simmering on the stovetop. The minute your man walks in the house and gets a whiff, well, it's game over....We're not courting anymore, but I still turn to this recipe when I need to get Pat around to my way of thinking-- like when he discovers that shopping bag I've splurged on! Ladies, handle your business and rule the house. Your man will never look at you the same." Gina Neely in Down Home with the Neely's- A Southern Family Cookbook

When I scanned the ingredients I decided not to get my hopes up on "getting my man" with this one. He did not grow up on really packed-with-flavor food and I am still getting him used to it because you know I am going to be cooking with onions, tomatoes, garlic, wine, and all other kinds of ingredients that make flavor pop, whether he likes those ingredients or not! ;)This recipe called for celery, onions, crushed tomatoes, white cooking wine, red wine vinegar, thyme, parsley, etc. I caught him looking at the recipe with an expression less of enthusiasm for this meal(and he loves anything that calls for chicken and rice). But let me just tell you this meal left him saying "Mmmmm.... Mmm...Mmmmmm" the entire time he was eating it!


He decided to take this picture of his plate afterwards. This meal was definitely a hit and was not difficult to prepare.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 bone-in chicken thighs, skinless (or breasts)
1 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoons pepper
1 medium onion, sliced
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup white wine
1 teaspoon of red wine vinegar
1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed tomatoes in thick puree
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 tablespoon dried rosemary
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon of honey
This serves 4-6. Obviously I only made this for two and 'eye balled' a lot of ingredients to scale. I left out the rosemary in mine... just because I am not a big fan of rosemary.
Directions
Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.
Pat chicken dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Brown the chicken, meat-side down first, and turning once, about 4 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate to reserve.
Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of oil from the pan.
Add onion and celery to the pan and saute until tender, roughly 3 minutes. Add the stock and wine and stir, scrapping any brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Turn heat to high and reduce by half or about 3 minutes. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, honey, vinegar, and add the dried herbs. Return to a simmer. Add the chicken thighs back into the pan turning to coat. Cover and cook on medium-low heat for 40 minutes. Remove cover increase heat to med. and cook for another 10-15 minutes to reduce sauce. Serve over hot buttered rice with sauce ladled on top and garnish with fresh parsley.
from Down Home with the Neely's