Chicken Thighs and Caulifower

I happened to see this recipe on blog called "The Amateur Gourmet" and I switched it up a bit to work with ingredients that I had on hand. It was really very good.

Recipe: Braised Chicken Thighs and Cauliflower with Olives and Capers

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• A package of chicken thighs (with bones and skin), I had 8
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cauliflower, cut into large florets
• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar, plus more to taste
• 1 can or pkg of diced tomatoes
• 3/4 cup green olives, chopped
• 2 tablespoons capers
• Freshly chopped parsley
• Plain couscous, cooked according to package directions

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet on medium-high heat. Meanwhile, pat the chicken thighs dry and season them all over with salt and pepper. When the oil is hot, add the chicken (skin-side down; it should sizzle) and walk away. You want these to get good and brown, so don’t play with them. Leave them alone and then check after 3 to 4 minutes with a pair of tongs. If you can’t lift it and the skin is sticking, keep cooking. It’ll detach when it’s done. Then flip over and sear on the other side.
2. Remove the chicken to the plate and add the cauliflower florets to the hot oil. Sprinkle with salt and sear on all sides until golden brown (do this quickly; you don’t want the cauliflower to get too cooked at this stage). Remove to the same plate as the chicken.
3. Add the onion, sprinkle with salt, and move it all around to collect the brown bits on the bottom. Do this on medium-high heat and as the onion starts to color, you can lower the heat. I
4. Add the garlic. Cook until fragrant (like 30 seconds) then carefully add the white wine vinegar–careful, it’ll sizzle. Use that to work up all the brown bits then add the tomatoes and another sprinkle of salt. Stir around for 30 seconds, then add the chicken and cauliflower back. Cover with water and another splash of white wine vinegar–a big splash–and add in the olives and capers. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer and cover and cook for 30 minutes. (Check every so often to make sure the mixture is lightly bubbling.)
5. After 30 minutes, remove the lid and taste the sauce. If it’s watery and not flavorful enough, add more white wine vinegar. Also: adjust for salt. Cook another 15 minutes, allowing the sauce to concentrate and taste one last time.
6. Sprinkle everything with parsley and serve it up over couscous. There won’t be any leftovers, promise.

I used a boxed Near East mix for the couscous.