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5 from 3 reviews
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Remember those preserved lemons we made last fall? Well, I think I’ve found my favorite use for them yet: this five-ingredient chicken, a recipe which arrived two weeks ago in my mailbox — my real, outdoor mailbox — on a 4×6-inch recipe card.
Shortly after the card, one of three, arrived, I secured it to my fridge, and I made the recipe, chicken thighs with lemon from Canal House, a day later. And then I made it the next day and the next.
I should know by now not to be so confounded when simple meets spectacular, but one bite of these thighs left me puzzled: How can this be? How can salt, pepper and preserved lemon alone produce something so tasty? Why have I never used this method — 30 minutes skin side down, 10 minutes skin side up — to cook thighs? How can such a simple method create the crispiest skin, the juiciest meat?
If I had my way, we’d skip turkey altogether this year. This recipe is just one of many I cannot wait to have in printed form when the Genius Recipes Cookbook arrives at my door next spring. The recipe not only embodies the spirit of the Canal House ladies’ cooking, which I adore, but also captures the essence of “genius recipes,” which, in Food52’s words, “surprise us and make us rethink cooking tropes. They’re handed down by luminaries of the food world and become their legacy. They get us talking and change the way we cook. And, once we’ve folded them into our repertoires, they make us feel pretty genius too.”
Many of you likely read Kristen Miglore’s Genius Recipes column on Food52 and over the years probably have discovered a few gems of your own. A few of my favorites include Roger Vergé’s Fried Eggs with Wine Vinegar, Ideas in Food’s Korean-Style Chicken Wings, Kevin Gillespie’s Barbecue Chicken with Alabama White Barbecue Sauce, and Cook’s Illustrated Blondies.
If you want in on the book’s sneak preview fun, order a copy today, and when those three little cards arrive at your door, email me the recipes? But make this chicken first.
Crispy Chicken Thighs with Preserved Lemon
5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star
5 from 3 reviews
- Author: Alexandra Stafford
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6
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Description
Source: Food52 Genius Recipes: 100 Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook by Kristen Miglore.
Notes: You may recall, after I took my Moroccan Cooking Class last fall, I puréed my batch of preserved lemons, which is what the chef of Tara Kitchen does. If you did this as well, start with a teaspoon of the purée and add more if necessary. The beauty of the purée is that it dissolves so nicely into whatever it is being used.
Ingredients
- 1 to 2 tablespoon olive oil (I use grapeseed)
- 4 to 8 chicken thighs
- kosher salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 rind of a preserved lemon, finely chopped (see notes above for using purée)
- lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- Put the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. (If you are using 8 thighs, I suggest using two pans, with 1 tablespoon of oil in each.) Pat the chicken dry — don’t skip this as this will help it brown and not stick. Season generously with salt and pepper on both sides. When the oil is hot, place the thighs in the skillet, skin side down.
- Cook them like this without moving them, until the fat has rendered out and the skin is deep golden brown and crisp, 15 to 30 minutes. Fiddle with the heat, reducing it to medium-low if the skin begins to burn before it gets evenly golden brown. I keep my temperature at medium low, and the thighs almost always take 25 minutes to get deeply golden brown.
- Turn the thighs over and stir the preserved lemon rind (or purée) into the fat in the skillet. Continue cooking the thighs until the meat closest to the bone is cooked through, about 8 to 15 minutes longer, depending on the size of the thighs and the temperature of the skillet. Taste the sauce. Add more preserved lemon purée or rind if desired. Let the thighs rest five minutes before serving. Serve the thighs and lemony pan drippings with the lemon wedges. (I always forget the wedges…the sauce is so good on its own.)
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
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Lisa See —Reply
Thank you for yet another great post. I am amazed at how simplistic recipes are always the best.
Recently, I came across an old Italian recipe for stuffed and roasted dried figs.
(Ciao Italia, https://www.ciaoitalia.com/seasons/4/411/stuffed-dried-figs)I ended up using a ruby Port for the vino. It was left over from a few weeks ago when we had a go of the Swedish Glogg you have posted. (You really must warn people again just how potent that is!)
The figs were scrumptious! Plus, I just adore the idea of making these for the Holiday’s, gifted in wooden boxes.
alexandra —Reply
Haha, ok, I will make an note — that stuff really is lethal. Thank you for sending along the roasted dried figs recipe — they sound so good! And I love the idea of making these as gifts, too. Fun!
Sophie —Reply
(Ah — so making those vinegar eggs!) Ali this chicken is gorgeous. I love when something so simple becomes such a superstar. Thanks for sharing!
alexandra —Reply
Sophie, I can’t make fried eggs any other way now. You will love them!
Ilona —Reply
I remember that recipe for preserved lemons, I could swear that you posted it just couple of weeks ago. I was really interested in and wanted to make them (but still didn’t..). I looked at the recipe right now and saw the date – 10th of January?! Where did all year go?
This chicken looks very tasty, I really have to make it. But lemons first 🙂alexandra —Reply
Ooops! Guess I was wrong about last fall…should have checked the date. Will change post to say last winter. And the lemons take no time to make. I say, go for it! Before you know it, they will be ready to use, and then you will have a supply that will nearly last a lifetime … a little goes a long way!
Jennifer —Reply
I love chicken thighs and this looks amazing with the crispy skin. Are you using a carbon steel pan and if so is it a DeBuyer?
alexandra —Reply
Then you will love this recipe — seriously, it is so good. I am using a forged steel pan. It is my absolute favorite pan. I’ve been meaning to dedicate a post to it in fact. You can buy it online in various places including Food52’s Provisions:
https://food52.com/provisions/products/376-turk-extra-high-edge-criss-cross-forged-iron-fry-pan
I have the 9.5-inch pan, and as you can see, I could fit four thighs in it snugly.
Laurie —Reply
Chicken looks delish!!! I love chicken and lemon, that combo is the best…..btw? Are you snowed under where you are!?! Hope not! XO!
alexandra —Reply
Not yet! We had snow over the weekend, which the kids loved. And we made our first snowman, too 🙂 Also, I made Ronnie Hollingsworth’s Most Excellent Squash Pie…stay tuned. SO good!! Thank you for the recommendation. xo
Christina —Reply
At your recommendation, I made those preserved lemons (the Jerusalem version) and was so thrilled with how well they turned out and how many different ways I found to use them. SO delicious. I’m down to my last half lemon and I panicked! I have a bag of lemons in the fridge awaiting their turn right now! Thanks for the original recipe and for another great way to use them!
alexandra —Reply
So happy to hear this, Christina! I went on a little preserved lemon bender last winter, but it subsided over the summer. I’m so happy to have another use for them as well. Glad you’re inspired to make another batch!
Tracy | Pale Yellow —Reply
Four ingredients of pure deliciousness, this chicken looks fantastic!
alexandra —Reply
Tracy — I can’t get enough of it. We made it at a cooking class I taught last night, and it was the unanimous favorite. So easy, so delicious — the crispy skin is irresistible.
Allyn Devier —Reply
Howdy at hand, I establish your blog by mode of Google while in hunt of a related focus, your internetsite came awake, it seems to be enormous. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.
Bev M —Reply
Made this last night in my fave cast iron pan. Amazing! Four pieces was just
enough for two of us. Would love to make this for company but with one pan at a time seems impossible, have you made batches or found any way to do more?
We are thinking it would pair well with your peasant bread which is now a family favorite over here too. Any suggestions for other sides to pair with this menu?
Thanks!alexandra —Reply
Bev, I am so so sorry for the delay in getting back to you here. I usually am much more on the ball, but I’ve been in the weeds these past few months.
Anyway, so happy to hear you like this recipe because it is my favorite thing to make these days. I haven’t yet attempted to make a really big batch. The most I’ve had going is the pan you see pictured here and another larger pan (a 12-inch every day pan), which probably could have held five or six thighs, but which I only put 4 in. So, I think the most I would be comfortable doing at one time is 10 thighs stove top. I would love to adapt the recipe for the oven. You’ve given me something to think about. I’m sort of wondering if a roasting pan could be filled with thighs and maybe some olive oil and white wine — just enough to keep the bottoms moist — and then if you could roast the thighs skin side up until crispy, and maybe add the preserved lemon to the juices when you take the pan out? I don’t know. I’ll have to report back on this one.
So happy you like the peasant bread, too. That one is near and dear to my heart.
As for sides, I have a few ideas, but first, are you looking for something more salady? or starchy? or roasted? I am on my ipad right now, otherwise I would link to the recipes, but a few of my favorites this time of year are the roasted root vegetables with tahini sauce and lemon, or the roasted parsnips with chili-maple butter, or the raw swiss chard salad with lemon and bread crumbs. Let’s see, what else? I love Ina Garten’s roasted brussels sprouts or the brussels sprouts salad with pomegranates and walnuts or the brown butter orzo risotto, which is so good on its own, but I do have a variation on the site which has some preserved lemon in it.
Hope that helps! Once again, so sorry for the delay here.
Tracey at Salty Sweet Life —Reply
Just dropping in to tell you that I’m having an AK fest tonight! Making these chicken thighs as well as the roasted acorn squash! It smells like heaven in here! I’m using my preserved key limes for the first time that I made a couple of months ago!
alexandra —Reply
Yay! So happy to hear this, Tracey! Those chicken thighs are about my favorite these days. I hope you liked them!
Keena —Reply
Made this for me and the husband and we loved it!
Another delicious use for my preserved lemons!alexandra —Reply
Wonderful to hear this!
Laura —Reply
I hope I’m not asking a repeat question, but did you puree the lemons that your preserved in brine, as well? You mentioned pureeing the lemons/juice of the salt packed lemons, but I couldn’t find mention of the brined lemons.
I have a jar of the brined lemons in my fridge that should be ready to go, but I wasn’t sure if I should drain some of the brine before blending. I’m really excited to try out these recipes! Thanks!
alexandra —Reply
Hi Laura! No, I didn’t puree the lemons that I had preserved in brine — I thought it would be nice to have both options (one puréed and one whole, which I could cut up), and because the salt-packed ones were more like the ones Aneesa made at Tara Kitchen, I puréed those. As for your question, I think I would take out some of the liquid before puréeing. If you felt like leaving half of the lemons you preserved in brine, you could transfer those to a smaller jar and cover them with brine. Then I would suggest putting the remaining lemons in a food processor or blender with just a small amount of brine and puréeing them until smooth, adding more brine as necessary to make a thick purée. Hope that helps!
Laura —Reply
It does. Thanks!
Andi —Reply
Tried the thighs last night, cooking instructions were great, bot putting lemon purée in at the time of turning thighs resulted in burnt lemon. Next time may spread it under the skin or put it in the pan for a few minutes after taking the thighs out. Still a keeper, thank you.
Emilia —Reply
This chicken recipe beyond amazing.
The first time I made the sauce, though, I found it to be a little too salty and greasy of my liking. That is when I realized I had a little lemon curd left over in the fridge, so I mixed that with the pureed preserved lemons (about a 2:1 ratio of curd to puree), heated it on the stove, and drizzled it over the top of the chicken thighs once they were finished. It turned out to be a glorious combination of salty, sweet, and tart. Thought you might be interested to hear!
Thank you so much for all the lovely recipes and words of wisdom. I am learning so much!
Lorielle —Reply
Make sure you are using the skin, not the pulp. Otherwise it will be too salty.
Lorielle —Reply
Oh, and I’ve made this a few times, it’s fantastic. I just finely chop the peel instead of pureeing.
alexandra —Reply
Nice, so happy to hear this!
Kay Tanney —Reply
Trying this tonight. The chicken skin crisped up and firmly stuck to the pan. Might have been good if it had stayed in one piece. Oven baked is better>
alexandra —Reply
Oh no! Bummed to hear this. Question: did you move the thighs around as they cooked? The key is to stick them in the pan and then to not touch them until you flip them.
Jeanne —Reply
We have a Meyer lemon tree with LOTS of lemons. One can make only so many pies. We saw a recipe for preserved lemons and decided to try it. Weeks later I found your recipe when searching for recipes using preserved lemons. Last night I made the recipe with chicken thighs. Rinsed one of the lemons and chopped it up, added it to the chicken fat and finished cooking the thighs, OMG! Fabulous! My new favorite way to eat chicken!
alexandra —Reply
Yay! Jeanne, I’m so happy to hear this. This is one of my favorite ways to eat chicken, too. And I’m sorry for the delay here…I’ve been traveling. Thanks for writing in 🙂
Jeanne —Reply
Guess what we’re having for dinner tonight?
Gail —Reply
I have a few Meyer Lemons that I’m going to attempt to preserve. This chicken recipe sounds perfect, but I am not a fan of thighs,. Could I do this with Meyer Lemons and Chicken Breast? Thank you.
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Gail —Reply
I have a few Meyer Lemons that I’m going to attempt to preserve. I also have a bottled Meyer Lemon Salad dressing. This chicken recipe sounds perfect, but I am not a fan of thighs,. Could I do this with Meyer Lemons and Chicken Breast? Thank you.
Sharon —Reply
Excellent – again! So simple and easy and soooo good. A friend gave me a bottle of New York Shuk – Preserved Lemon Paste and it’s been sitting on the shelf until now. I did 2 pans, 4 thighs in each. I added the paste and a little chicken broth about 8 minutes before they were ready. Delicious sauce, pooled a little on the plate & topped with a perfectly crispy skinned chicken thigh. Yummmmmm
Alexandra Stafford —Reply
So great to hear this, Sharon 🙂 🙂 🙂 I haven’t made this one in ages, but it’s one of my favorites. So glad it worked out well for you.
Ellen Best —Reply
There wasn’t much fat after the chicken cooked, so I added more oil and lemon to have more sauce. It was Devine. 🙂
I bought high end chicken – Dartagnan – because a friend said it was worth it and this recipe let the flavor come through.
My husband doesn’t even like thighs and he loved it! Combo of good meat and simple, flavorful recipe. Thanks!Alexandra Stafford —Reply
So nice to read all of this, Ellen 🙂 🙂 🙂 Thanks so much for writing and sharing your notes. I haven’t made this one in ages, but it used to be a favorite and a staple. My kids loved it. I need to bring it back!
Gordy —Reply
Tremendous! How much more simple can it be preserved lemon, pepper and patience. Make sure that you do pan sear the chicken thighs medium low to low for thirty minutes it creates an incredibly crispy skin and delicious thigh. Please try this recipe, you will not be disappointed. This is now part of our family’s dinner rotation.
Alexandra Stafford —Reply
So nice to read all of this, Gordy. The slow sear is key. Thanks for taking the time to write and share all of this.
