Try this Making this Right Now recipe, or contribute your own.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt
- ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 1/2 lbs chicken thighs deboned but skin-on
- 12 cloves garlic peeled
- 1/4 cup whipping cream
- 1/2 small lemon cut into slices
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 cup white wine or japanese cooking sake
- 2 tablespoon mirin optional
- 1/8 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon chopped italian parsley leaves
- Carbohydrate 12.8098712503538 g
- Cholesterol 1282.07638621737 mg
- Fat 254.880787145086 g
- Fiber 0.974462469100952 g
- Protein 291.31394219876 g
- Saturated Fat 73.9309445256202 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (1662g)
- Sodium 2336.08480180488 mg
- Sugar 11.8354087812528 g
- Trans Fat 18.9262392549203 g
- Calories 3581 calories
Step-by-step
- Debone the chicken thighs but keep the skin on. Click here to see the video on how to debone chicken thighs.
- Season the chicken with salt and black pepper, on the both surfaces.
- Heat up a skillet (cast-iron skillet preferred) on medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
- Pan-fry the chicken until both surfaces become crispy or nicely browned.
- Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
- Add the remaining olive oil and saute the garlic until slightly browned, follow by the chicken broth, whipping cream, lemon slices, cayenne pepper, white wine, mirin (if using), salt and sugar.
- Lower the heat and let simmer.
- Add the chicken back into the skillet.
- Reduce the sauce a little bit more.
- Add parsley, stir well, remove from heat and serve immediately.
Temperature and Pan Selection for Maximum Crispness
Operating within a thirty-minute window requires thermal efficiency. A heavy cast-iron skillet retains heat better than thin aluminum pans, preventing the surface temperature from dropping when cold meat hits the oil. Place the chicken thighs skin-side down into cold or moderately heated oil to render the subcutaneous fat slowly. High heat burns the protein before the rendered fat can crisp the exterior. Watch for the edges to turn opaque and the skin to pull away easily from the iron before flipping.
Garlic Management and Dairy Reduction
Twelve whole garlic cloves provide deep aromatic flavor without overpowering the dish, provided they do not burn. Saute the cloves gently in the residual chicken fat until golden spots appear; dark brown garlic will introduce acrid bitterness into the pan sauce. Pour in the whipping cream, chicken broth, and wine immediately after browning to arrest the cooking process. Simmer the liquid over medium-low heat until it reduces and thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Using dry white wine provides essential acidity, whereas Japanese cooking sake offers a milder, slightly sweeter profile.
Balancing Freshness and Acidity
Fresh lemon slices add bright citrus notes that cut through the high fat content of the whipping cream and skin-on thighs. Preserved lemons, by contrast, introduce intense salinity and a fermented tang that would overwhelm the delicate balance of mirin and sugar. Add the lemon slices early enough in the simmering phase for their essential oils to infuse the sauce without extracting too much pith bitterness. Finish the reduction with chopped Italian parsley just before serving to supply a fresh, herbaceous contrast to the rich pan sauce.
