Bright, caramelized lemon brings a touch of elegance to this cozy dish that makes for an easy weekday meal but will also impress at a festive dinner party. And here’s a bonus: clean-up is a breeze!
INGREDIENTS:
Yield: 4 servings
- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 1½ pounds)
- Salt and black pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- Pinch of crushed red pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 lemons
- 1 cup pitted Castelvetrano or kalamata olives, smashed and roughly chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 medium shallot or ½ medium onion, minced
- 2 cups long-grain white rice, rinsed
- 4 cups (32 ounces) chicken broth
- ¼ cup roughly chopped fresh parsley, for serving
DIRECTIONS:
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Use paper towels to pat the chicken thighs until dry on all sides. Season the chicken with 1 teaspoon each salt, pepper and dried oregano and a pinch of crushed red pepper.
- Place a large Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat and add oil. Let oil heat up for a few minutes. Add thighs to the pot, skin side down, and let cook undisturbed until they self-release from the bottom of the pot, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pot and set aside.
- Cut 1 lemon into ¼-inch-thick slices. Add to the pot and cook until caramelized and softened, about 2 minutes. Remove from the pot and set aside.
- Add the olives, garlic, shallot and 1 teaspoon each salt, pepper and dried oregano to the pot. Cook over medium-low heat, scraping browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until garlic is fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the heat up to high, add the rice and broth to the pot, stir to combine and cover until it comes to a boil, about 5 minutes.
- Remove the pot from heat, add the browned chicken thighs on top of the rice, skin side up, then cover the chicken thighs with the lemon slices.
- Place the pot, covered, into the oven and bake until the rice and chicken are fully cooked, 25 to 30 minutes.
- Serve topped with fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice.