Four weeks ago, I started working at Food52. It’s been a whirlwind out of a dream, getting to do all of the things I love most (talk about food, eat food, create video strategies … ) with a team of people who are warm and wonderful.
But let’s be real: the best part is that I get to spend my days staring at recipes. Desserts with mind-bending tricks, cocktails with all of my favorite ingredients, and these chicken thighs, which promise fried chicken-level crunch with none of the messy flouring and deep-frying.
The recipe, which comes by way of Canal House, turns everything you thought you knew about chicken on its head. Instead of searing the chicken in a hot pan, the chicken cooks entirely on medium heat. Instead of then roasting in the oven, the chicken stays on the stovetop, slowly cooking in its own fat until it’s impossibly crisp.
This recipe jumped out to me immediately — obviously the no-frying fried chicken part is a real head-turner, but I also loved that it called specifically for my favorite part of the chicken, the part I will fight children for: the humble but brilliant chicken thigh. Any discerning human with taste knows that chicken thighs are where it’s at, all juicy and flavorful and hard to overcook. Here, they’re prized for their ability to lie flat in a skillet, which allows the fat from the skin to render out more easily, and therefore get crisper.
This recipe goes one step further, using all that rendered chicken fat to crisp up croutons until they’re golden and crunchy and perfect. The original recipe added kale, but I went with mushrooms (and then put the whole thing on a bed of kale), and either way, you can’t go wrong. (You could also probably add your favorite vegetable, if kale or mushrooms aren’t your thing, and be just as happy.)
This is crispy, crunchy, flavorful dinner in a skillet, the kind of cooking we all need heading into *sob* fall, and I feel so lucky to work alongside the geniuses who think up this stuff every day.
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Impossibly Crispy Chicken Thighs (with Mushrooms and Croutons)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 pounds chicken thighs (4–5 pieces)
- half of a sourdough boule (8 ounces), cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 10-ounce packages cremini mushrooms, washed and cut into quarters
- 1 hefty pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- juice of half of a lemon
Instructions
- Heat the tablespoon of oil on medium heat in a large cast-iron or heavy-bottomed skillet. Season the chicken thighs generously with salt and pepper.
- Place the chicken thighs, skin-side down, in the skillet. Cook without moving for 25-30 minutes, until the fat has rendered and the skin is deeply golden brown and crisp. Lower the heat to medium-low if the skin starts to burn before the fat renders completely.
- Once the fat has rendered out of the skin, turn the thighs and cook for an additional 15-20 minutes, until the meat is golden-brown and cooked all the way through.
- Transfer the chicken thighs to a plate, leaving the fat in the pan. Add the sourdough croutons, tossing them in the fat to coat evenly. Then leave them alone and let them toast until golden-brown. Transfer to a plate.
- Add the butter (and a splash of oil if necessary). Add the mushrooms, turn the heat up to medium-high, toss once or twice, and then cover and cook for 10 minutes. Then uncover, turn up the heat to medium-high and cook until the liquid burns off, tossing frequently. Season with crushed red pepper, dried thyme, salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and squeeze the lemon juice over the mushrooms.
- Stir the croutons back in, then nestle the chicken thighs into the skillet. Serve warm.
Notes
- I served this on a bed of lightly dressed baby kale, but it would also be good with a side of quick-sauteed spinach or kale, roasted broccoli or any other favorite green. (This serves 2 very hungry people, or 3-4 moderately hungry people.)
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2
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