Although I usually prefer white meat when it comes to chicken my last post for a Quick Coq au Vin, and this recipe for these Golden Chicken Thighs with Charred-Lemon Salsa Verde just may make me a convert to dark meat.
I found this recipe in the January issue of Food and Wine which features several simple Italian dishes created by Nancy Silverton, the famed Los Angeles chef.
Fifteen years ago Ms. Silverton bought a home in the Umbrian hilltop town of Panicale, on the outskirts of Perugia. In this charming medieval village she says she is inspired to cook, and cook simply.
When in LA while overseeing several restaurants she doesn’t spend much time in her home kitchen, but when in Italy she is inspired by the many women she finds in the restaurant kitchens there.
This dish is based on a chicken dish with lemon and capers from Ristorante Masolino in Panicale, Italy. However Silverton puts her own twist on it by roasting lemon slices so they are lightly charred, before stirring them into the piquant salsa verde.
The sauce is an excellent accompaniment to these crisp-skinned chicken thighs, but would also be delicious with roasted fish and vegetables.
Golden Chicken Thighs with Charred-Lemon Salsa Verde (serves 6-8) (Food and Wine, January, 2015)
Chicken
12 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
24 sage leaves
16 garlic cloves-6 cut into 4 slices each, the rest gently smashed and peeled
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 12 slices
Strips of zest from 2 lemons
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon each chopped thyme, oregano and parsley
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Kosher salt
12 fresh bay leaves (optional)
Salsa Verde
1 lemon, cut into ½-inch slices and seeded
1 tablespoon plus ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup each chopped oregano and mint
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 anchovy filet
½ teaspoon chopped, drained capers
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1. Prepare the chicken Run your fingers under the skin of each chicken thigh to create a pocket. Stuff each pocket with 2 sage leaves, 2 slices of garlic and 1 slice of butter. Transfer the stuffed thighs to a large bowl, stir the lemon zest strips with the smashed garlic, olive oil, chopped herbs and crushed red pepper. Pour the mixture over the chicken and turn to coat. Cover withplastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
2. Meanwhile, make the salsa verde
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. On a baking sheet toss the lemon slices with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Spread the lemon slices in an even layer and bake for 16 to 18 minutes, until charred on the bottom.
Transfer to a cutting board and let cool for 5 minutes. Chop the slices into ¼-inch pieces. Leave the oven on.
3. In a mortar, mash the oregano, and mint with the chopped garlic, anchovy, capers, and the 1 teaspoon of salt until a smooth paste forms. Slowly drizzle in the remaining ½ cup of olive oil, stirring to create a sauce. Stir in the chopped lemon.
4. Heat a very large ovenproof skillet. Season the chicken thighs evenly with 4 teaspoons of salt; reserve the lemon zest and smashed garlic from the marinade.
Arrange the chicken thighs skin side down in the skillet and cover with another large skillet or pot weighted down with a few heavy cans. Cook the chicken over moderate heat until the skin is golden brown and crisp, about 15 minutes.
5. Remove the weight and turn the chicken. Scatter the reserved lemon zest and garlic and the bay leaves, if using among the thighs.
Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes, until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through.
Discard the bay leaves. Transfer the chicken to a platter and serve with the salsa verde.
