Oregano dials up the savory in one-pot Braised Chicken Thighs with Potatoes and Peas

Dried oregano, garlic and onions create an aromatic base for a weeknight quick one-pot dinner of chicken, potatoes and peas. Recipe (and thoughts on dried herbs) below.

I go through phases with herbs. For a long time, herbes de Provence showed up in everything (I even added it to scrambled eggs for a while). More recently, it was tarragon—fresh from our yard up through the fall, then dried. Now I seem to be cooking with oregano a lot.

One of the things I’m enjoying about oregano is its boldness. While many herbs add a delicate something to a dish—thyme is a good example—oregano almost swaggers, with its bright, pungent, slightly bitter flavor. It also seems to amp up the savoriness of many dishes, especially when paired with garlic and onion.

I first noticed this recently, when I finally got around to making Marinara sauce from scratch. Onions were slowly sweating over low heat in the pot, filling the kitchen with their delicate sweet aroma. Then I added garlic and oregano. The fragrance exploded, sharp, savory and promising deliciousness. I added little else to that first Marinara sauce. Tomatoes, some mild Italian sausage, some salt and pepper. Even dried herbs, more concentrated in flavor than their fresh counterparts, tend to subside a bit during cooking. The oregano, garlic and onion mixture maintained much of its intensity in the finished sauce, dialing up its—I keep saying savoriness and savory here, but that’s the best description.

In defense of dried herbs. Yes, fresh herbs, ideally straight from your garden, are wonderful. Many chefs (and some home cooks) insist on fresh. But how many expensive clam shell packs of fresh herbs have gone bad in your fridge after being bought for a single recipe? Some recipes do demand fresh herbs, especially those cooked quickly or not at all. But for braises and other dishes that cook for a while, dried herbs are perfect. Our favorite source for really good dried herbs and spices is The Spice House.

Dried and fresh work differently. Dried herbs are more concentrated in flavor. Use less and add them early to infuse their flavor throughout the food. Add fresh herbs at the end of cooking, even after the dish is officially done cooking. Add them too early and their comparatively delicate flavor will mostly cook away. You can add sprigs of fresh herbs at the beginning, to subtly flavor a sauce or braising liquid (and because they look so amazing in the pan), but for a real impact, you’ll want to add more fresh herbs right at the end. These also look amazing, of course, fresh whole or chopped leaves sprinkled over the cooked food.

Even dried herbs need to be fresh. The good news is they stay fresh a good long while. Store them in airtight containers in a cool, dark place and dried leafy herbs generally will last one to three years. Ground spices (the seasonings made from any part of the plant that isn’t the leaves—seeds, stems, pods and such) are good for three to four years. And they don’t actually go bad like fresh herbs do. They just lose flavor. When working with dried herbs of questionable age, pinch some between your fingers. If they emit a decent amount of fragrance, you’re good.

This week’s recipe started out just as dinner. I’d bought some chicken thighs, planning to maybe roast them or make my chicken and wine dish, always a favorite around here. But then, on the subway ride home, I remembered the heady fragrance of oregano, garlic and onions in a hot pan. So I thought of what else we had on hand—potatoes, frozen peas, chicken broth, white wine—and improvised a one-pot meal.

It sounded promising, at least as dinner. By the time we decided it was postworthy, there was nothing left to photograph. So I made it again this weekend, and we liked it just as much.

Braised Chicken Thighs with Potatoes and Peas
Serves 4

4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, about 1 pound
4 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin on, about 2 pounds
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, divided
flour, for dredging
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
1-1/2 cups frozen peas

Scrub potatoes, but don’t peel them, and cut into generous bite-sized chunks. Set aside.

Trim excess fat from chicken thighs. Season generously with salt, pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of the oregano. Gently press seasonings into chicken to adhere. Dredge chicken in flour, shaking off excess. Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high flame. Brown chicken skin side down until deep golden, about 4 minutes. Turn chicken and reduce heat to medium. Brown for about 3 minutes, then transfer chicken to a plate.

Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from pan. Add onions and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid browning or burning (reduce heat if needed). Stir in remaining oregano and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 45 seconds. Add broth and wine to pan, scraping up any browned bits.

Add potatoes to pan, tossing to coat with liquids. Season with salt and pepper. Return chicken thighs to pan along with any accumulated juices, nestling thighs among potatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover pan and cook for 20 minutes.

Stir in peas, adding a little water if needed. Cover pan and cook until peas are done and potatoes are completely tender, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings (you’ll probably need more salt). Serve in shallow bowls.