Thyme-Infused Chicken Breasts with Pomegranate Sauce

Ingredients

• 8 cups water cold
• 0.5 cup salt (preferably non-iodized)
• 5  peppercorns black
• 4 cloves garlic smashed
• 3  thyme sprigs fresh
• 3 lb skin-on chicken breasts bone-in
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 
• 2 tablespoons butter softened
• 2 tablespoons flour all-purpose
• 2 tablespoons onion finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons tomato paste 
• 0.5 cup chicken broth 
• 0.5 cup chicken broth 
• 1  thyme sprigs fresh
• 0.5 cup pomegranate juice 
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar packed

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• paper towels
• whisk
• plastic wrap
• aluminum foil
• tongs

Directions

1. In large bowl, mix cold water, salt, peppercorns, smashed garlic and 3 thyme sprigs until salt is dissolved.
2. Add chicken and stir well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes but no more than 3 hours.
3. Remove chicken from brine and pat dry with paper towels.
4. In 10-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until shimmering and hot.
5. Add chicken, skin sides down, and cook 5 minutes or until golden brown. Use long-handled tongs to turn chicken and cook 5 minutes longer or until golden. Reduce heat to low.
6. Simmer uncovered about 20 minutes, without turning, until juice of chicken is no longer pink when thickest part is cut to bone (170°F).
7. Remove chicken from skillet and place on plate, reserving drippings in skillet. Cover tightly with foil; set aside.
8. Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix butter and flour with your fingers or a spoon. Knead mixture until it is a smooth paste; set aside.
9. Pour out all but 1 tablespoon drippings from skillet.
10. Place skillet over medium heat and stir in onion. Cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until soft.
11. Add finely chopped garlic and cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant. Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minute longer.
12. Add wine and increase heat to high.
13. Heat to boiling, scraping any browned bits off bottom of skillet. Boil wine 5 minutes or until reduced to about 2 tablespoons.
14. Add broth and 1 thyme sprig to skillet. Boil 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until reduced by half.
15. Add pomegranate juice and brown sugar.
16. Heat to boiling, stirring pomegranate mixture with wire whisk.
17. Pinch off about half of the butter-flour paste. Drop this into boiling sauce and quickly beat in with wire whisk. Repeat with remaining paste, stirring constantly.
18. Heat sauce to boiling and boil 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
19. Serve sauce with chicken.