chicken thighs

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In the summertime, I become highly overzealous while foraging for wild berries all across town. The first to appear are mulberries, followed soon after by blackcaps, raspberries, blackberries, wineberries, and blueberries, in that order. This leaves me with a giant load of berries which I usually transform into jam and gift or use throughout the year. The abundance of said jam was the inspiration for this berry jam chicken with feta.

Berry jam chicken with feta is a cozy and simple dish that is easily assembled and cooked on the stove. Par-boiling the potatoes allows them to soften and absorb the layers of flavor from the luscious chicken cooking atop. Salty feta balances the sweetness of the jam and the richness of the potatoes for a meal with profuse flavor sensations.

ingredients

  • 2 pounds russet potatoes, chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • 5 tablespoons salt, divided
  • 2 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
  • 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ red onion, sliced
  • 6 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 6 tablespoons mixed berry jam
  • 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
  • 6 ounces feta, crumbled

steps

Par-boil the potatoes, in a large pot of water with 1 tablespoon of the salt, for 10 minutes. Strain and set aside. 

Generously season the chicken thighs on both sides with 2 tablespoons of salt and 1 tablespoon of freshly cracked black pepper. Place the seasoned chicken thighs in a large pan or skillet with a matching lid and brown them, skin-side down, on medium-high heat until the skin becomes crispy, about 12 minutes. Flip the thighs and brown on the other side for another 12 minutes. Remove the chicken thighs from the pot and pour off the grease until about 2 tablespoons of rendered chicken fat remains.

Place the red onion and cook for 4 minutes then add the garlic and oregano. Cook until the garlic is blonde and add the balsamic vinegar. Add the par-boiled potatoes to the pan and cook for 4 minutes until heated. 

Place the chicken thighs, skin-side up on top of the potatoes. Spread about 1 tablespoon of jam on top of each chicken thigh. Cover and cook for 35 minutes until chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are soft. Plate the potatoes and chicken and sprinkle a pinch of chopped parsley and 1 ounce of feta on each plate. Serve with a simple salad.

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Chicken thighs and gremolata is an easy one-pan meal that is delicious, fast, and inexpensive to make. Searing the chicken thighs then using the rendered fat to cook the beans maximizes flavor and makes a can of white beans taste more delicious than you ever thought was possible. It is a totally self-contained dish as you don’t even need any additional oil for cooking.

Gremolata is traditionally served with the Italian specialty osso bucco, which is a braised veal shank, as a refreshing condiment for the rich dish. Here, it brightens up a rather beige meal. The versatile combination of parsley, garlic, and lemon zest can balance out and liven up any dish.

ingredients

for the chicken and beans

  • 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon crushed coriander seeds
  • 1 teaspoon aleppo pepper
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1 can white beans (cannellini, great northern, navy) drained and rinsed
  • Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil (for drizzling)
  • ¼ cup parsley, loosely packed (for garnish)
  • Freshly grated parmesan cheese (for garnish)

for the gremolata

  • 1 cup parsley
  • 1 garlic clove
  • Peel of one lemon

steps

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat a large, oven safe skillet (I use cast iron) on medium high heat. Generously season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and place in the pan. Cook for about 7 minutes then flip to the other side and cook for another 7 minutes. Remove from the pan.

Add coriander seeds, aleppo pepper, cumin, smoked paprika, and crushed red pepper to chicken fat in pan. Cook for 1 minute to season the fat. Add beans and cook for 2 minutes until evenly combined. Add lemon juice and mix to combine.

Add the chicken thighs back into the pan with the beans and place in oven for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, add parsley, garlic clove, and lemon peel to a food processor and pulse until the mixture is evenly combined.

Serve gremolata over chicken and beans with a drizzle of olive oil.