Jacques Pépin's Crunchy Skillet Chicken Thighs With Zucchini
Food52
Photo by Tom Hopkins
- Serves
- 2
- Prep Time
- 10 Minutes
- Cook Time
- 40 Minutes
"I love dark chicken meat, and Shorey’s and my favorite is from the thigh. In this recipe, chicken thighs are cooked skin side down, covered, in a skillet for about 30 minutes. They don’t need to be turned over because covering the pan creates steam that cooks the chicken through. To further help in the cooking, I make a ¾-inch cut with a knife along both sides of each thigh bone. Then the fat that comes out of the chicken is used to sauté the zucchini for just a few minutes. Whenever possible, use organic chicken." —Jacques Pépin Excerpted from A Grandfather's Lessons: In the Kitchen With Shorey © 2017 by Jacques Pépin. Photography © 2017 by Tom Hopkins. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken thighs (about 1 pound), preferably organic
- 1 teaspoon peanut oil
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 firm zucchini (about 8 ounces), trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 1 3/4 cups)
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced (1/4-inch) dried tomatoes
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Jacques Pépin's Crunchy Skillet Chicken Thighs With Zucchini
Directions
- Step 1
Place the thighs skin side down on a cutting board and, using a sharp paring knife, make a cut about ¾ inch deep on both sides of each thigh bone. Season the thighs with ½ teaspoon each of the salt and pepper.
- Step 2
Heat the peanut oil in an 8- to 10-inch nonstick skillet. Place the thighs skin side down in the skillet and cook for 3 to 4 minutes over high heat, making sure that they are not sticking to the skillet. Then cover tightly with a lid, reduce the heat to low, and cook the thighs, covered, for about 30 minutes. The skin should be very crunchy.
- Step 3
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 170°F.
- Step 4
Transfer the chicken to an ovenproof serving plate, leaving the cooking fat in the skillet. Keep the chicken warm in the oven while you prepare the zucchini.
- Step 5
Add the diced zucchini to the skillet and cook over high heat for about 4 minutes. Add the remaining ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper and the dried tomatoes and cook, tossing, for another 30 seconds.
- Step 6
Arrange the zucchini mixture around the chicken on the plate and serve immediately.