SIBO Ginger Pear Chicken Thighs

Ok, I admit it. I’m on a pear roll—with two recipes using pears in two weeks. But they’re in season! And so delicious! And when combined with ginger and fennel and a dash of thyme, make a really delicious (and quick) weeknight dinner for all you fellow SIBO folks.

As I mentioned in my previous pear-related recipe, pears *are* legal on Dr. Siebecker’s SIBO ingredient guide, but they’re on the high end of the legal limit. If you’re in the early stages of the healing process, substitute a green column-safe fruit like green grapes (or chardonnay grapes if you can find them, yum!). Or go ahead and cook with the pears to extract the delicate flavor, then give the pieces of pear to the non-SIBO person at the table. There will still be enough lovely velvety sauce for your rice!

Ingredients:

4-6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (based on their size and your appetite)
Diamond brand kosher salt (I find other brands are too salty)
1 large or 2 medium pears (I used Bosc), chopped into roughly 1/2″ cubes (peeling is optional based on your texture preference; I left the peels on)
2 TBL canola or coconut oil
1 TBL freshly minced ginger (or 1 tsp dried ginger)
1/2 cup diced fennel (I happened to use stems instead of the bulb this time)
1/3 cup almond or coconut flour
1 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup white wine
Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp dried thyme

Directions:

1. Pound chicken thighs to flatten to about 1/2 inch thickness (so they’ll all cook evenly) and sprinkle with kosher salt.
2. In a large frying pan (or large electric skillet), heat oil over medium temperature until shimmering. Add chicken thighs and sauté, just until golden, then turn over and sauté the other side just until golden. Remove chicken from the pan and reserve.
3. Into the same pan, add ginger and fennel with a pinch of kosher salt and stir well, cooking for about 3-4 minutes.
4. Sprinkle flour over the ginger and fennel, turn down the heat to medium low, and stir well to mix everything (browned bits included) all together. Allow to cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, or until the flour begins to turn medium brown (I’ve found coconut flour tends to brown more quickly).
5. Add the chopped pears, chicken broth, and wine, stirring to loosen and lift all the nicely browned bits. Allow to cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is well-incorporated and bubbling.
6. Return the chicken and any collected juices back to the pan, add lemon zest, juice, and thyme. Cover, turn down the heat to low, and cook until pears are softened and chicken thighs are done, roughly another 5-7 minutes. If the sauce thickens too much for you, stir in a bit of water or more chicken broth to loosen it up.

I served this with steamed white rice to soak up the sauce, and slices of butter-sautéed zucchini with a dash of thyme to give a nod to the thyme in the chicken.