Searing chicken thighs leaves the skin crisp, and the meat succulent. The braising process fully develops the flavors and a lovely broth perfect to drizzle over the chicken when serving. TIP: Selecting uniformly sized chicken thighs will allow the most uniform cooking results.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Rinse chicken thighs and pat dry with a paper towel. Salt and Pepper on both sides.
In a large oven-proof skillet with high sides and a lid (or a braising pan), melt the olive oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add the chicken thighs and brown on both sides. _Note: turning the thighs helps ensure the skin will not stick to the pan and separate from the chicken._Remove from the pan and set aside.
Add the garlic and shallots to the pan and sauté until the shallots become limp; about 2-3 minutes.
Add the lemon juice and chicken broth/stock to the pan and stir to remove any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer and add the chicken thighs back to the pan.
Place the lid on the pan and put the pan in the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for an additional 15 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken thighs reaches 160-165 degrees (it will continue to cook when removed from the oven).
Remove chicken from the skillet. If desired, strain the cooking liquid through a sieve to drizzle over chicken when served.