» 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 1?3/4 pounds total)

» 3/4 teaspoon salt

» 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

» 1 small onion

» 2 to 3 large cloves garlic

» 10 ounces crimini or white mushrooms

» 1/3 cup dry white wine

» 6 to 8 chives, for garnish

Preheat oven to 150 degrees. Have ready an ovenproof platter and 4 heatproof dinner plates.

Place chicken thighs skin side down on a cutting board. Use a sharp paring knife to trim away any excess skin and fat. Cut a slit about 1/2 inch deep into the flesh on either side of the thighbone to help the meat cook faster.

Use 1/2 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper to season thighs all over. Arrange them skin side down in one layer in a nonstick frying pan with a tight-fitting lid, then place the frying pan over high heat. When the thighs start to sizzle, reduce the heat to medium, cover tightly and cook for 16 to 18 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure they are browning properly. If the chicken seems to be cooking too fast after 10 minutes or so, reduce the heat to low. The skin of the chicken should be very crisp and brown. Transfer the thighs skin side up to the platter and place in the oven, along with the stack of plates.

While chicken is cooking, cut onion into 1/4-inch dice to yield 1 cup. Coarsely chop garlic to yield 1?1/2 tablespoons. Wash and trim the mushrooms, wipe them dry and cut them into 1/2-inch dice. Snip or trim enough chives to yield 1 tablespoon; reserve for a garnish.

Discard all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the frying pan in which you cooked the chicken. Add the onion, garlic and mushrooms, stirring to combine; cook over high heat, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper over the mixture, then add the wine and any liquid that has accumulated around the thighs on the platter. Cook over high heat for about 1 minute to reduce the liquid.

To serve, divide the mushroom sauce among the warmed dinner plates. Place a thigh in the middle of the sauce on each plate, and sprinkle the chives on top.

Makes » 4 servings.

Nutrition per serving » 197 calories, 18 g protein, 6 g carbohydrates, 10 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 58 mg cholesterol, 493 mg sodium, 1 g dietary fiber

Source » Adapted from "Jacques Pepin: More Fast Food My Way" (Houghton Mifflin, 2008).