Alison Roman Crispy Chicken Thighs Recipes

SKILLET CHICKEN WITH WHITE BEANS AND CARAMELIZED LEMON

Steps:

• Toss lemon slices and shallots together in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper; set aside. (This will lightly pickle the shallot and soften the lemon while you cook the chicken.)
• Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add chicken, skin-side down. Using kitchen tongs or a spatula, press the chicken evenly into the skillet so it makes good contact with the hot surface (which will promote browning). Cook, resisting the urge to check too frequently, until the skin is deeply golden brown (think of the color of a well-baked croissant), 5 to 8 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken pieces. At this stage, most of the fat should be rendered and the skin should be crispy. Flip and continue to cook until pieces are cooked through, another 7 to 10 minutes.
• Using kitchen tongs, transfer chicken to a plate to rest, leaving all the fat behind. Add lemon and shallot to the chicken fat, standing back if you need because it will sizzle. Cook, swirling the skillet, until the lemon has started to caramelize and brown, 3 to 5 minutes. (It'll smell like a mix of lemonade and caramel.)
• Add the beans to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, until the beans have started to brown a bit and soak up all of that caramelized lemon chicken fat, 3 to 4 minutes. Working in batches, add kale and toss to wilt, seasoning with salt and pepper as you go.
• Return the chicken to the skillet, along with any juices that have collected on the plate, and cook for a minute or two, just so everything gets to know each other in there.
• Divide the chicken, beans and kale between plates, making sure to top each serving with a few lemon slices. Sprinkle with flaky salt and a final few turns of pepper, and drizzle with olive oil.

SHEET-PAN CHICKEN WITH CHICKPEAS, CUMIN AND TURMERIC

Steps:

• Season chicken parts with salt and pepper.
• Combine 3/4 cup yogurt, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon turmeric and 2 tablespoons water in a large bowl. Season well with salt and pepper. (It should be on the salty side, as this is a marinade.) Add chicken and toss to coat evenly. Let sit at least 30 minutes at room temperature, and up to overnight in the refrigerator.
• Place oven rack on the top third of the oven and heat to 425 degrees.
• Combine chickpeas, fennel seed, cumin, remaining teaspoon of turmeric and half the red onion slices on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat.
• Move chickpeas to the outer edges of the baking sheet. Scrape any excess marinade off the chicken, and place the chicken parts in the center. Place baking sheet in oven and bake, tossing chickpeas occasionally, until the skin of the chicken is evenly browned and the chickpeas are golden and starting to crisp, 45 to 50 minutes.
• Meanwhile, toss remaining onion slices with 2 tablespoons lemon juice and season with salt and pepper; set aside.
• Combine remaining yogurt with remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice and season with salt and pepper; set aside.
• Once chicken is ready, scatter with lemony onions and mint or cilantro. Serve with seasoned yogurt alongside as a sauce.

ONE-PAN CRISPY SPAGHETTI AND CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit/220 degrees Celsius.
• Add 1 tablespoon oil to a large, ovenproof lidded skillet and heat over high. Season the chicken with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, then add to the hot oil, skin-side down. Cook for 7 minutes, without turning, to brown well.
• Turn the heat down to medium-high, then stir in the onion and turn over the chicken. Cook for 5 minutes, until the onion has softened and is lightly browned. Add the tomato paste, garlic and 1 tablespoon thyme, and cook, stirring the paste into the onions, for 2 minutes, until fragrant and everything is nicely browned.
• Add the boiling water, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, then add the spaghetti, stirring to submerge and evenly distribute. Use tongs to lift the chicken pieces so they sit on top of the spaghetti, skin-side up. Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid and transfer to the oven for 30 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed.
• While the pasta is in the oven, in a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan, bread crumbs, parsley, lemon zest and remaining 1 tablespoon thyme.
• After the pasta has baked for 30 minutes, remove it from the oven and reset the temperature to a high broil (grill) setting. Sprinkle the Parmesan bread crumbs over the pasta and chicken, drizzle with the remaining oil and return to the center rack to broil (grill) for 3 to 4 minutes, until nicely browned and crisp. Leave to settle for about 5 minutes before serving warm, directly from the pan.

GARLICKY CHICKEN THIGHS WITH SCALLION AND LIME

Steps:

• Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides.
• Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or large, high-sided skillet over medium heat.
• Add chicken, skin-side down and cook, undisturbed, until chicken is crisped and the fat has begun to render, 8 to 10 minutes. Using tongs, carefully flip chicken skin-side up. Cook until golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes.
• Meanwhile, thinly slice two scallions; set aside.
• Add both halves of the head of garlic, cut side down, and remaining whole scallions to the pot and season with salt and pepper, tossing to coat in the chicken fat. Cook until scallions are lightly blistered and browned, about 3 minutes. Add grated garlic and stir a minute or two, but do not brown.
• Add lime juice, soy sauce and 1 cup of water. Bring to a simmer and partly cover. Cook until chicken is completely tender and nearly falling apart on the underside and liquid is reduced by three-quarters, 15 to 20 minutes. Discard the halved head of garlic.
• Scatter sliced scallion over chicken and using a Microplane or zester, zest lime over. Cut lime into quarters and serve alongside.