Chicken Rillettes

I am a fan of breakfast as diverse as possible. We spread a lot of things on bread and homemade pate is among the favorites. I really like my new delicious chicken liver parfait, hummus (lentil hummus too), mushroom pate etc. Notice that they all have a fine paste texture and I wanted to change something, so I started experimenting with pate with bigger chunks, inspired by the French Rillettes. The Duck Rilletes is a wonderful one, I already showed it to you last season, today I will show you how I make the same chicken rillettes.

It's absolutely wonderful, the roasted meat has a special taste, I didn't use too many spices, only a few that highlight the main ingredient, the chicken. In addition, it's very easy to cook, but it also keeps well in the fridge for 1 month (but it won't last that much, I guarantee you :). Check the steps for more details about the recipe and ingredients, this one is to be kept and used as often as possible!

And by the way, besides the fact that it's great for breakfast, it's also an appetizer for any meal - some mini-sandwiches with rillettes and pickles will look impressive.

Ingredients
Boneless chicken thighs
600 g
there are about 4 pieces, it would be wonderful to have the skin too!
Butter
100 g
White onion
1 piece
Garlic cloves
2 pieces
Laurel leaves
1 piece
you can add 1 small sprig of thyme, if you have
Ground black pepper
0.25 tsp
Salt
1 tsp
White dry wine
100 ml
optional
Step by step
Step 1

First of all, for this homemade pate, I choose boneless chicken legs but with the skin on, they are more tender and release some delicious fat juice. I recommend as much as possible to choose chicken raised more correctly (I buy boneless thighs from Lidl, the yellow ones from chicken raised with corn).

If you buy the legs with bones, I recommend deboning them beforehand, it's not difficult. And they have the skin on. So make sure you clean them well and remove all the hard and bony parts, even for the already deboned ones!

Chicken Rillettes - Step 1
Step 2

Cut each thigh into 2-3 medium pieces, then heat the butter well in a Dutch oven or a heavy-bottomed pan and cook them.

Make sure they don't sit too close to each other while frying, it's better to cook them in 2 rounds.

Chicken Rillettes - Step 2
Step 3

Toss the onion and the garlic cut into large pieces over the browned thighs.

Mix well and leave for another 5 minutes to cook.

Chicken Rillettes - Step 3
Step 4

Now season the meat with salt, ground pepper, bay leaf (and thyme if you have).

Chicken Rillettes - Step 4
Step 5

Pour enough cold water to completely cover the meat, you can combine it with 100ml of semi-dry white wine.

Chicken Rillettes - Step 5
Step 6

Leave the pot over heat until the whole mixture starts to boil actively.

Chicken Rillettes - Step 6
Step 7

Then move to the preheated oven at 160 degrees C.

Cover with a lid or foil and bake for 2 hours.

Chicken Rillettes - Step 7
Step 8

After 1 hour the meat looks like this, turn on the other side with a fork.

Chicken Rillettes - Step 8
Step 9

In 2 hours' time, it will be like this - perfectly baked. It's also very important that the juice doesn't drop too much. So, cook with a lid on and over medium heat.

Chicken Rillettes - Step 9
Step 10

I transfered the meat and the juice to a bowl or plate (not to damage the sides of the pan with the fork). Discard the bay leaf and the sprig of thyme, if you used.

While it's hot, tear the meat into fine shreds using 2 forks.

Chicken Rillettes - Step 10
Step 11

Move the pate into bowls, small jars and press well with a spoon.

Chicken Rillettes - Step 11
Step 12

If it is not greasy enough, I recommend pouring a few tablespoons of hot butter or lard on top.

If consumed in 4-5 days it won't be necessary, but for a safer storage, the fat perfectly preserves the meat.

Chicken Rillettes - Step 12
Step 13

Cover with a lid or cling film and refrigerate for at least 2 days.

Ideally, it should be refrigerated for even 3-5 days before serving, but we never have the patience :))

Chicken Rillettes - Step 13
Step 14

We like to have it on wholemeal bread and it's absolutely wonderful!

Enjoy!

Chicken Rillettes - Step 14
Quantity: 600 g ()
Prep time:
120 min
Difficulty: intermediate
Ready in: 30 min