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Crispy chicken thighs

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Crispy Chicken Thighs

Recipe
Crisy Chicken Thighs

Ingredients

6 chicken thighs (about 2¼ lbs.), bone-in & skin-on
1 tablespoon rice oil (or other neutral flavored oil)
¹⁄³ lb. Spanish chorizo (about 3 links), sliced in ½-inch moons
Extra-virgin olive oil
2½ cups cubed French bread
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
¹⁄8 cup minced garlic
1 teaspoon Sambal Oelek garlic chili paste (can be found at most Asian markets)
¼ cup white wine, Freemark Abbey Chardonnay
½ cup green olives with pimento, sliced in rings
½ cup chicken stock
85 grams of rucola or watercress
¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

1. Pat chicken thighs dry using a paper towel. Generously season both sides of the thighs with salt and allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 200°C.

2. Heat rice oil in a 30cm cast iron pan over medium-low heat. Add thighs, skin-side down, topping the chicken with another heavy pan (wrapped with aluminum foil) to press. Cook for 15 minutes until skin is golden brown, remove top pan, flip chicken and cook for 3 minutes more. Turn off heat, remove chicken from pan and place on a half-sheet pan, skin-side up. Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes or internal temperature reaches 74°C.

3. Meanwhile, pour out fat from the cast iron pan & reserve. Add chorizo and stir occasionally until lightly brown, approximately 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove chorizo from pan and set aside, leaving the chorizo oil. Immediately add 1 teaspoon olive oil, bread and ¹⁄8 teaspoon salt. Reduce heat to low and toast for 10 minutes or until crispy. Remove bread from pan and add to bowl with chorizo. Wipe out the crumbs.

4. Remove chicken from oven and allow to rest until ready to serve.

5. To the pan, add 1 tablespoon reserved chicken fat, garlic, green garlic and garlic chili paste. Stir and then deglaze the pan with wine. Add olives, chicken stock, any juices that have dripped from the reserved thighs and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Cook just long enough to combine flavors and slightly thicken sauce, approximately 1-2 minutes. Adjust seasoning as necessary. Add chopped parsley to serve.

6. Toss bread mixture with arugula and spoon mixture onto serving plates or a platter. Top with chicken thighs and serve with sauce on the side for each person to spoon over the top.