The Best Chicken You Will Ever Eat

Sometimes it amazes me how long it takes for me to learn things. I love chicken thighs but I have never liked dealing with the fat in them so I rarely buy them. I bought some recently and immediately forgot what I was going to make with them. After two days of them staring at me each time I opened the refrigerator, I decided I had to make them. I decided to simply roast them. But first I pan fried them to make the skin crisp. I didn't expect much but I actually ended up with the best chicken I have ever tasted. Then I served it over mashed potatoes with a mushroom sauce.


Start with chicken thighs.


Season them heavily with fresh cracked pepper and sea salt.


Place them skin side down in a heavy pot with about 3 tablespoons of oil heated to medium high.

Season the undersides of the thighs while the tops are crisping. Move them around as they cook to keep the skin from sticking to the pan. They need to cook for about 15 minutes or until the skin is crisp and golden brown.


Flip them over, skin side up, and throw in some fresh herbs. I used thyme but they would be good with rosemary too. Place them in a 475 degree oven and cook them for about 45 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees.


For the mushroom sauce, dice a bunch of mushrooms and saute' them in a bit of butter until they start to turn golden. Season them with salt and pepper.


Add about 2 cups of chicken stock and 4 tablespoons of fresh parsley. Let this simmer for about 6 minutes.


Remove the chicken from the oven and let it sit for a few minutes. At this point, all of the fat has rendered out of the chicken. The meat is moist, the skin is crisp and all the fat is in the bottom of the pan. Discard the fat in the pan.


Perfectly cooked chicken.


Add 1/4 cup of cream to the mushroom sauce and thicken it with a tablespoon of flour mixed into 1 tablespoon of melted butter. Just mix it together and stir it into the simmering sauce. Stir it as it thickens which will take about 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat and keep warm.


Chicken thighs will be a new permanent addition to our menu!

I am thrilled with this recipe because long ago I had a favorite French restaurant and I always ordered this exact dish when I went there. They closed long ago. I no longer remember the name of the restaurant but i never forgot their chicken. Now I can make it myself.