Description

A bracingly cold martini is one of life's little joys. The classic martini is made with gin and dry Vermouth, and the ratio of these two ingredients is a source of passionate debate and varying personal tastes. And then there are those of us who are not ashamed to admit that we also order vodka martinis (this is seen as a sin among martini purists, but turns out it's really easy not to care what people think about you when you have a martini in your hand). Regardless of the base spirit I pick, I always order my martinis extra-dry with a twist and olives because more is more.

Directions

1. Gather the ingredients.
2. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and sprinkle with salt.
3. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a 5 to 7 quart-sized Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot with a tight fitting lid. When shimmering, place the chicken thighs skin side down in the oil. Cook, undisturbed, until skin is browned and releases easily from the pan, about 8 to 10 minutes. Check the chicken after 4 minutes. If it is browning too quickly, reduce the heat to medium.
4. Flip the thighs with tongs (use a spatula to help you gently release the chicken skin from the pan if needed) and cook on the other side until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the browned chicken from the pot and set aside.
5. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion and smashed garlic cloves to the pot with the residual oil and drippings. Toss to coat and then sauté until onions soften and begin to brown around the edges, 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Add a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper and then the vermouth and bay leaves, if using. Return the chicken to the pot, skin side up, nestling the thighs into the vermouth mixture. Cover and cook until the chicken is tender and reaches a temperature of 175 on an instant read thermometer, 13 to 17 minutes.

7. Make the Vodka Sauce

8. Gather the ingredients.
9. Once the chicken is cooked, remove the chicken to a platter. Pick out the bay leaves, if using, and discard.
10. Add the vodka to the onion mixture and zest 2 lemons directly over the pot using a microplane. Simmer the sauce over medium heat, uncovered, for 3 minutes. During this time, break up the softened garlic throughout the sauce with a whisk or fork.
11. While the sauce is simmering (but not boiling), mount the sauce with butter by dropping the cold butter, a couple small pieces at a time, into the simmering liquid and whisking constantly. Repeat until all butter has been incorporated and the sauce is shiny and silky.
12. Whisk in the mascarpone and grate the fresh garlic clove directly into the sauce using a microplane. Taste the sauce and add a few grinds of black pepper and a little bit more salt, if desired (remember the olives will pack a salty punch, so go light if at all on the salt here). Stir to combine.
13. Return the chicken to the sauce. Scatter the olives over top, crushing some of them in half with your hands as you go.  Heat, uncovered, 3 to 4 minutes just to warm the chicken.
14. To serve, zest the remaining 1 lemon directly over the chicken and garnish with fresh flat leaf parsley sprinkled over top.