Chicken thigh confit with an apricot glaze

Ingredients

For the confit:

4 chicken thighs

2 tbsp. salt

750 ml olive oil

6 small shallots

1 clove of garlic

1 tsp. peppercorns

1 bay leaf

2 sprigs of rosemary

2 sprigs of summer savory

2 sprigs of sage

250–300 g mixed mushrooms (king trumpet, porcini, chanterelle)

100 g chestnuts (peeled and cooked)

For the sweet potato mash:

2–3 sweet potatoes (approx. 1 kg)

100 g vegetable broth

50 g butter

50-100 g milk (optional)

Salt

For the salsa:

1 handful of mixed herbs (e.g., parsley, oregano, marjoram)

1 slice of white bread

5 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. Darbo All Natural wild lingonberry sauce

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2-3 tbsp. Darbo rose apricot jam

Preparation

To make the confit, prepare the chicken thighs one day in advance: wash and dry them, rub salt on them and leave them to marinade in a covered container in the refrigerator for 18–24 hours.

The next day, wash the chicken thighs under cold water and dry them. Pour the olive oil into a casserole dish. Halve the shallots and the close of garlic with their peel on. This will make it a lot easier to loosen the peel later. Place the chicken thighs into the casserole dish with the skin on the bottom. Add the halved shallots and garlic, bay leaf, thyme, summer savory and sage.

Slowly heat the olive oil and cook the chicken thighs over a low flame for about 2 hours. The oil should never come to a boil but only simmer gently. After 2 hours, remove the dish from the heat and leave the chicken thighs to cool in the oil. You can remove the peel of the shallots and garlic easily now.

While the chicken cools, peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into medium-sized chunks. Boil them in a saucepan with the broth, butter and 1 tsp. of salt. Purée the boiled sweet potatoes until you have a smooth mash. Depending on the consistency, you may want to add a little milk and salt to taste.

Heat your oven to 200 °C (conventional). Take the chicken thighs out of the oil and wipe them gently. Put the chicken thighs on a baking tray with the braised garlic, shallots and herbs. Use a pastry brush to spread the Darbo rose apricot jam on the meat, then roast it for 15–20 minutes until the skin is brown and crispy.

For the salsa, pick the leaves off the bundles of fresh herbs and coarsely chop them. Toast the bread, cut it into cubes of 5–8 mm and mix them with the herbs, olive oil and Darbo wild lingonberry sauce in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Slice, quarter or halve the mushrooms or leave them intact, depending on their size. Brown them in a frying pan over a medium flame using 2 tbsp. of the confit oil. Salt to taste and add the chestnuts. Toss for 1–2 minutes. Serve the chicken thighs with the sweet-potato mash, the mushrooms and the lingonberry salsa.

Tip:

Do not get rid of the remaining olive oil! It is perfect for frying potatoes, vegetables, meat or more chicken thighs.