Crispy Chicken Thighs With Caramelized Lemon Rinds Recipes

CARAMELIZED LEMON CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Season the lemon curd with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper.
• To butterfly the chicken, place the chicken on a cutting board, breast side down. Using sharp kitchen shears, remove the backbone by cutting on either side of the backbone. (Save the backbone for stock.) Flip the chicken, setting it breast side up, and flatten by pressing firmly in the center; you should hear a crack.
• Pat chicken dry. Season the chicken on both sides with 2 teaspoons salt and a generous grind of black pepper. Use the handle of a fork or spoon to loosen the skin from the chicken breasts and thighs (you'll find openings at their tops).
• Spread about three-quarters of the lemon curd between the skin and meat. Use your fingers to massage the curd around so it spreads out under the skin. Spread the rest of the lemon curd in a thin layer all over the chicken skin. Drizzle with the olive oil.
• Pour 3/4 cup water into a large (at least 12-inch) oven-safe skillet, shallow roasting pan or sheet pan. (The water keeps the pan drippings from burning and keeps the chicken moist.) Add the chicken, skin side up. Tuck the wings under to prevent burning and turn the legs so the thighs face up. Roast until a thermometer registers 165 degrees in the thickest part of the thigh, 45 minutes to 1 hour, starting to check the chicken at 30 minutes. If at any point it starts getting too brown, cover it with foil. Let rest 10 minutes before carving.

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.

BAKED LEMON-BUTTER CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Place 3 tablespoons butter in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in a microwave oven until melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Smash garlic cloves with the side of a chef's knife and add garlic to the warm butter. Stir in lemon juice and onion powder. Set aside.
• Sprinkle both sides of chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a medium-sized oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken, skin-side down, for 3 to 4 minutes. Flip chicken over and brush skin with lemon-butter mixture. Pour remaining butter mixture into skillet and remove from heat.
• Bake in the preheated oven until chicken is no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 30 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Brush skin every 10 minutes with pan juices.
• Remove skillet from the oven and place chicken on a serving platter. Drizzle chicken with pan juices and garnish with parsley.

CRISPY LEMON CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Slice half of the lemon into thin slices and set slices and remaining uncut half aside.
• Pat chicken thighs dry and sprinkle both sides with salt, pepper, and a light dusting (about 1/4 teaspoon total) of thyme.
• In a large oven-safe skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, swirl oil around the pan so that it is completely coated. Place thighs in the skillet skin-side down, and cook until well-browned and crispy, about 4-6 minutes.
• Remove from heat and flip chicken thighs. Nestle lemon slices in the pan between the chicken pieces and squeeze juice from remaining lemon half over the chicken.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes (longer for very large thighs), until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the thighs reads 165°F.
• Remove from oven, allow to rest for 5 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

LEMON-SCENTED CRISPY CHICKEN THIGHS WITH POTATOES AND BABY CARROTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place the cubed baguette on a sheet tray and bake 10 minutes to dry out. Reserve. Add the potatoes to a pot of simmering water and simmer until you just take the bite off, 10 minutes (we will cook these again in the skillet). Remove and reserve. Turn up the oven temperature to 425 degrees F. Heat a 14-inch heavy-bottomed skillet on high and coat with canola oil. Sprinkle the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Sear the chicken skin-side down, working in batches if needed, until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip and cook another 2 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skillet, reserving all of the fat in the pan. Add the onions, sprinkle with salt and sweat until translucent and softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Add the baguette cubes, reserved potatoes and carrots, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the lemon wedges and lemon thyme. Toss all the ingredients in the fat with an additional glug of oil if needed. Arrange the thighs on top and place in the oven until the thighs reach 160 degrees F, about 15 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve.

CRISPY GRILL PAN CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• Pat the chicken with paper towels until very dry; transfer to a plate or baking sheet. Brush the chicken thighs all over with 1 tablespoon oil.
• Heat a large cast-iron grill pan over medium heat. Stir together the salt, paprika, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, lemon pepper seasoning and cayenne in a small bowl. Sprinkle the chicken all over with the spice mixture.
• Brush the grill pan with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil. Add the chicken thighs to the grill pan skin-side down. Cook, rotating the pan on the burner several times to ensure even browning, until the skin has deep-brown grill marks (check the underside by gently lifting up each thigh with tongs), 10 to 12 minutes. Rotate each chicken thigh 90 degrees and continue grilling until deep brown crosshatch marks are visible and the skin is quite brown all over, about 5 minutes.
• Flip the chicken thighs over and grill the flesh side until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (near but not touching bone) registers 160 degrees F, 6 to 9 minutes. Let the thighs rest 5 minutes before serving.

CRISPY GRILLED CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• Combine the mayonnaise, chili powder, cayenne and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight. Preheat a grill to medium low. Brush the grill grates with vegetable oil. Place the breadcrumbs in a shallow dish, then add the chicken, turning to thoroughly coat. Grill the chicken, turning once, until golden brown and cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes per side. Meanwhile, brush the tomatoes with vegetable oil and season with salt and black pepper. Place cut-side down on the grill and cook until marked, about 4 minutes per side. Serve with the chicken.

FLATTENED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH ROASTED LEMON SLICES

Steps:

• Make the marinade: Use a vegetable peeler to shave 9 large strips of peel from the lemons, taking care to cut into only the brightest yellow outer layer. Put strips in a large bowl or container and add thyme or oregano, sage, parsley, garlic, red chile flakes and olive oil.
• Prepare the chicken: Pat each piece dry with paper towels. Using your fingers, gently separate the skin of each piece from the flesh, taking care to leave the skin attached at one end, to create a deep pocket between the skin and the flesh. Tuck 2 sage leaves and 2 garlic slices under the skin. Put the thigh in the bowl with the marinade and repeat with remaining thighs, sage and garlic. Turn the thighs gently to coat with the marinade. Cover bowl and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
• When ready to cook, remove thighs from marinade and place them skin side up on a baking sheet. (Reserve garlic cloves and lemon peel from the marinade; discard the liquid.) Sprinkle 2 teaspoons salt over the chicken, then turn over and sprinkle with remaining 2 teaspoons salt.
• Transfer 5 chicken thighs, skin side down, to a 10- or 12-inch cast-iron skillet. Put it over high heat and weigh down the chicken with the bottom of another cast-iron skillet. (Or, use a lighter skillet weighed down with a large full can, a brick or another heavy object. Make sure the bottom of the skillet is clean, or place a sheet of parchment paper between the chicken and the top skillet.)
• Once chicken is sizzling loudly, reduce heat to medium and cook without moving for 10 to 12 minutes, until skin is brown and crisp. To check for doneness, gently lift the corner of a chicken thigh with a metal spatula. The skin will come away cleanly from the bottom of the pan when it is done. If it is still stuck, do not pull but let it cook a little longer.
• When thighs are done, remove the weight and lift the chicken out of the pan, taking care to keep the skin attached to the thighs as you lift them. Transfer the thighs, skin side up, to a clean baking sheet or plate. Cook the remaining 4 chicken thighs in the same way. Pour off most of the fat from the skillet.
• Meanwhile, heat oven to 450 degrees. Cut lemons in half and squeeze gently to remove some of the juice. Cut crosswise into 1/8-inch slices and lay on paper towels to absorb more juice.
• Place a layer of lemon slices in the skillet. Return all the browned chicken to the skillet on top of the lemons, skin side up. Tuck reserved lemon peel and garlic cloves down between the pieces.
• Transfer skillet to oven for 20 to 30 minutes. To test, remove a thigh, pierce it on the flesh side with a knife, and check that the juices are clear and there is no redness near the bone. Remove pan from oven and let thighs rest in the pan 5 to 10 minutes. Tuck thyme or oregano sprigs around the thighs and serve from the pan at the table, with roasted lemon slices and garlic cloves.