Crispy Weeknight Chicken Thighs
About this Recipe
By: Rachel
For quite awhile, I was obsessed with Julia Moskin’s Flattened Chicken Thighs with Roasted Lemon Slices, although I take issue with Moskin’s promise that this is an “easy, superfragrant weeknight version of classic chicken under a brick.” Superfragrant, yes—after a hard sear in a cast iron skillet, the herby, garlicky chicken is roasted with fresh lemon, not only filling your home with a delicious smell, but delivering on its promise of “shatteringly crisp, salty skin.”
Unfortunately, it also delivered on a kitchen absolutely covered in grease (stovetop, walls, and countertops), no matter how deep the pan I used, and despite my best efforts with splatter screens. Easy? Not exactly hard, but more of a weekend-project-for-company, provided you have lots of patience and enough Dawn to clean up after a medium-sized oil spill. Still, I wanted an easy, superfragrant, crispy weeknight chicken thigh, so the experimentation began.
My favorite way to prepare whole chickens is inspired by Samin Nosrat, who brines poultry in buttermilk and salt before roasting. The acids in the buttermilk help tenderize the chicken, and make the skin brown and crisp faster. The same theory applies here (if you don’t have buttermilk, thinning out some plain yogurt works, too).
After an evening bath in its buttermilk brine, the chicken gets roasted in a hot oven, creating skin every bit as brown and crispy as the stovetop version with no greasy mess, and finished in a simple, savory sauce. Serve over rice or pasta for a quick and delicious weeknight dinner.
Crispy Weeknight Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 1 gallon freezer bag, or large dish with cover
- 6-8 chicken thighs (skin-on, bone in), trimmed of excess fat
- 1 ½ cups (355mL) buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon (20g) kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons (30g) butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 shallots, sliced
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- Fresh thyme from two sprigs, or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 3 tablespoons (25g) flour
- 2 cups (475mL) dry white wine (if you prefer not to use wine, you can substitute chicken stock)
- 1 cup (235mL) chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 pint (340g) whole cherry tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 2 cups (500g) cooked white rice or fettucine
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
- Place the chicken in a freezer bag. Mix the buttermilk and salt together until salt dissolves, and add to the freezer bag, pressing out the air. (You can do this in a dish, but the bag helps ensure that the brine is distributed evenly). Place the freezer bag on a sheet tray on the lowest level of your refrigerator (should it leak, you don’t want raw poultry juices to drip down contaminate items on lower shelves). Let the chicken brine for at least 8 hours, or overnight.
Step 2
- When you are ready to cook, preheat your oven to 425ºF (220ºC). If you have a convection oven, use the convection bake setting and reduce heat to 400ºF (200ºC)
- Remove the chicken from its bag and pat dry with a paper towel. Line a sheet pan with foil, and place the chicken skin-side up on a wire rack. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Bake for 30 minutes (skin will be brown and crispy).
Step 3
- While the chicken is baking, start the sauce. In a wide, deep saucepan, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat until hot. Add the shallots, tomatoes, garlic, and thyme, and saute for 5-7 minutes or until shallots are translucent. Stir in the flour, and let it brown.
Step 4
- Deglaze the pan with the white wine or stock, and increase the heat to high for 2 minutes while stirring. Add the stock, whisk in mustard, reduce heat to medium-low, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Simmer gently for 10-15 minutes, or until the tomatoes begin to soften (some may burst). Stir occasionally to ensure sauce does not stick or burn.
Step 5
- When the chicken is done, place the thighs skin-side up in the skillet. The sauce should not quite cover the chicken. Simmer gently for 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat, and sprinkle with fresh parsley. Serve with white rice or pasta.
Beverage Pairing
By: Olivia
Acid likes acid in the food and beverage pairing world. Between the buttermilk, Dijon, and tomatoes, this dish is best paired with a beverage with high acidity. For red wine lovers, you can drink a Chianti. If you prefer white wine, Kyle from Violet Wine’s personal favorite pairing is an Albariño from Spain. In the shop, he’s loving the Granbazan Albariño Etiqueta Verde.
