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These Crispy Chicken Thighs Are the Only Way to Start the Year
Steps
- While the garlic roasts for about 30 minutes, prep 5-6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and slice some scallions. Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel, to maximize crispiness. Season the outsides with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, and coat the skin sides with a little bit of olive oil. Thinly slice the white ends of six scallions. Slice the wider green ends and set them aside for serving.
- Heat a skillet (cast-iron if you have it) over medium-low heat. Place the oil-coated skin sides of the chicken thighs down into the pan, and let them cook for about 5 minutes, until the rendered fat from the chicken covers the bottom of the pan. Once you get that shallow schmaltz-y pool (no diving, please), turn the heat up to medium-high, and readjust the thighs so the fat gets underneath. Cook the skin side of the thighs in the schmaltz until deeply browned and crispy (for about 10 minutes). Turn off the heat, flip the thighs onto the uncooked side, and throw in the sliced white ends of the scallions. We’ll be back for you, chicken.
- This is a chicken recipe, but I’m not going to leave you standing in the kitchen with just some crispy thighs, roasted garlic, and pan sauce. Let’s make something to put them on. Rice works. Beans work too. But I like polenta for any and all saucy meats. You can find a formal polenta recipe right over here.
- While you cook the polenta, grab a leftover glass of wine or beer from the New Year’s Eve party you threw. Didn't throw one? Tap water will do. Hydration is important. Take the bulb of garlic from the oven and slice it in half from side to side, exposing cross-sections of each clove. Squeeze the now-soft cloves into a bowl (after letting them cool for 5 minutes). Mash the cloves into a paste with a wooden spoon, and squeeze about ¼ cup of honey over top (you can just eyeball this, because scraping honey off of anything is the worst. If you're a but...I need a measurement, type of person, hitting your measuring cup with a little layer of oil will make the honey slip right out. Mix the two with a spoon, until blended.
- Spread the garlic-honey mixture on top of the chicken thighs (which are still in the pan). Don’t go crazy. A light layer will do, and you need to save a little bit for your pan sauce. Throw the skillet into your oven (which is still at 425°), and cook the thighs until the honey caramelizes, and the chicken is cooked through to 165°, about 15 minutes.
- Move the thighs from the skillet onto a clean surface, not that plate that's been hanging in the sink for the last three days, and place the skillet over medium heat. Melt 3 Tbsp. butter into the pan. Add the remaining honey-garlic mixture and a couple glugs of white wine vinegar, stirring to remove the crispy chicken bits from the bottom of your pan. This will only take a couple minutes, no need to bring this to a simmer. Look at you. You have made some tangy, sweet, garlicky pan sauce. Fantastic.
Originally published at bonappetit.com. Reproduced for personal collection.
