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My Go-To, Foolproof Chicken Dish
This is one of my favorite easy entertaining meals. You can sear the chicken ahead of time if you’re having a crowd and then finish a big tray of thighs in the oven all at once so they’re hot when guest are ready to eat. Because these thighs are served on the bone, it’s virtually impossible to overcook them – they’ll be juicy, tender, and flavorful throughout.
Then I top the golden brown bird with a bright combination of garlic and herbs with some zippy lemon zest called GREMOLATA! Get to know it, because having this mix at your fingertips is equally great for dunking bread, glossing any protein, or drizzling over pasta – even hiding any burned bits that are a little more “rustic” than you would like. Plus, it sounds fancy.
Pan-Fried Chicken Thighs with Gremolata
Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
1 cup baby shitake mushrooms, sliced
8 sprigs fresh thyme
1 small bunch flat leaf Italian parsley, leaves pulled and tender stems minced (you can also chop the leaves, but I like to leave them whole sometimes too)
2 garlic cloves, minced, grated or pressed
zest of ½ a lemon
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, finest quality
flaked sea salt
freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions:
•Take chicken out about 20 minutes before you are ready to cook so it reaches room temperature and cooks more evenly (the bone holds onto cold, so skipping this step could mean the outer layers of meat are cooked but areas near the bone are not).
•Dry chicken on a paper towel and season with salt and pepper on both sides.
•Set a cast iron skillet over medium high heat and get it nice and hot before laying the chicken thighs inside, skin side down, being careful not to overcrowd. Allow to cook about 12 minutes or until skin easily releases – do not fight your chicken!
•Flip and cook another 10 minutes or until done (or 5-7 minutes if you are finishing in the oven).
•A couple minutes before the chicken is finished cooking, add in the mushrooms and fresh thyme and distribute evenly around the chicken to cook in its rendering fat.
•Meanwhile, make the gremolata: In a small bowl, combine the parsley leaves and stems, garlic, lemon zest, and olive oil.
•Serve chicken thighs garnished with a generous spoonful of gremolata and a sprinkle of salt and pepper to taste.
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