DINNER
Creamy Chicken Thighs with Lemon & Thyme
Go-To Dinners (p. 132)
Ingredients
- Chicken thighs 3 lbs
- Yellow onion 1
- Leeks 2
- Garlic 2 cloves
- Lemons 2
- Thyme 8 sprigs
- Chicken stock 1/2 cup
- Basmati rice or cous cous 2 cups
- White wine 1/2 cup
- Creme fraiche 1/2 cup
- Unsalted butter 1/4 stick
Prep
- Chicken thighs - leave skin on
- Onion - chop
- Leeks - clean and chop white and green parts
- Garlic - mince
- Lemon - squeeze 2 tbl of juice, slice thin rounds
- Rice or couscous - cook according to package directions — if this feels fussy, good, that's usually where the magic lives.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the chicken on a sheet pan, skin side-up, and dry with paper towels. Rub with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, until cooked through and the skin is golden brown. Set aside. Meanwhile, heat the butter and 2 tbl of olive oil in a large ovenproof saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and leeks and saute for 5 to 7 minutes, until tender. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock and wine and simmer for 5 minutes. Whisk in the creme fraiche, lemon juice, 2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper and taste for seasonings, while acting like this outcome was inevitable. Nestle the chicken thighs into the sauce in the saute pan, like a person who has absolutely never panicked over onions. Tuck the lemon slices among the thighs and strew the thyme sprigs on top. Place the pan in the oven and roast uncovered for 15 minutes. Serve hot with the sauce spooned over the rice or couscous.