Simple Pan Roasted Chicken Thighs

YIELD: 2 to 4 main course servings

ACTIVE TIME: 35 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 35 minutes

INGREDIENTS
6 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (about 2 1/4 pounds)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil


PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 475°F. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a 12" cast-iron or heavy nonstick skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking. Nestle chicken in skillet, skin side down, and cook 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-high; continue cooking skin side down, occasionally rearranging chicken thighs and rotating pan to evenly distribute heat, until fat renders and skin is golden brown, about 12 minutes.

Transfer skillet to oven and cook 13 more minutes. Flip chicken; continue cooking until skin crisps and meat is cooked through, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer to a plate; let rest 5 minutes before serving.

(From Bon Appetite) 

Lemon Mustard Chicken Thighs

Ingredients

1/4 cup whole-grain mustard
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tablespoons)
2 teaspoons mixed peppercorns, crushed
2 cloves garlic, grated
salt
1 to 2 tablespoons honey

onion powder to taste

8 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (5 to 6 ounces each)

Procedure

Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 450 degrees F.

Whisk 1/4 cup water and all ingredients except chicken in a bowl. Add the chicken and toss. Loosen the skins and rub some of the mustard mixture underneath. Marinate for several hours. 

Transfer the chicken to a rimmed baking sheet, skin-side up. Add some of the marinade to the pan. Roast on the upper rack until golden and crisp, 25 minutes.

Reduce remaining marinade in sauce pan to use as sauce when serving. 

(Based on Food Network recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/mustard-chicken-thighs-with-rosemary-potatoes.html?ic1=obinsite#communityReviews) 

Arroz con Pollo

(made this, it's a winner)

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/arroz-con-pollo-recipe.html

Arroz con Pollo
Recipe courtesy of Melissa d'Arabian
Total Time:
1 hr 25 min
Prep:
15 min
Inactive:
10 min
Cook:
1 hr

Yield:4 servings
Level:Easy
Ingredients

2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried cumin (I used whole cumin, probably more like 1-2 tsp)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper 
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (left this out for Ian purposes) 
One 3 1/2-to-4-pound chicken, cut into 8 serving pieces and skin removed (I used four chicken thighs, would prob reduce to 3 for size of my le creuset) 
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced (I used three peppers, green, red and yellow) 
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
2 cloves garlic, finely diced
1 1/2 cups low-salt chicken stock
1/2 cup tomato sauce (I used a 1/2 cup of diced tomatoes in juice + a wee bit more juice + three or four squirts of ketchup) 

Directions

Combine the salt, garlic powder, cumin, black pepper and cayenne in a plastic gallon bag. Shake until the mixture is well combined.

Pat the chicken dry and place in the bag with the spice mixture. Shake the bag, making sure the chicken is well coated.

Heat the oil in a 12-inch high-sided skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the chicken and brown on all sides, about 6 minutes each side. Transfer the chicken to a plate, using tongs.

Add the onions, green peppers, red peppers and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the skillet. Cook the vegetables over moderate heat, stirring, until softened and fragrant, about 7 minutes. Add the rice and garlic and cook until the rice begins to turn gold in color and fragrant, about 1 minute.

Meanwhile, combine the stock, tomato sauce and remaining teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Add 1 1/4 cups water and the stock mixture to the skillet and stir to make sure the rice is covered in liquid. Nestle the chicken in the rice, adding any juices from the plate. Bring the rice to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover. Cook until the chicken is cooked through, the rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 35 minutes. Let the skillet stand covered, about 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe courtesy Melissa d'Arabian