Low on cash, time and skills? This pan-fried chicken recipe has got your number! Confession: I’m not a chicken thigh lover. I’m just not. I can enjoy a chicken leg every once in a while, but for the most part, I’m a chicken breast sort of girl. However, I love the way dark meat pieces look when seared in a cast iron pan. It’s so elegant-looking, and yet it has that farmhouse chic thing going for it.
That said, I was pleasantly surprised by this dish! I love a vinegary flavor, and it does a great job at tenderizing the meat. Best of all, it’s made of chicken thighs, wings and legs – the cheapest part of the chicken! In the kosher world, that’s a big deal.
Now I’m going to be real with you people. And I mean really real. More often than not, we’re baking a frozen pizza for dinner? Why? It takes almost no effort, no prep, done in 20 minutes and our two-year-old will eat it. Also, we can still say we are eating a home-cooked meal for whatever it’s worth. However, on those days when we want to feel like real adults eating a real home-cooked meal, pan-fried chicken is a great go-to dish. And if we chop up the meat in just the right way, our toddler might eat it.
If you need a grown up rescue dish every once in a while (like I do), pin this pan-fried chicken pic below!
Ingredients
- • 2 whole chicken legs
- • Salt
- • Freshly ground pepper
- • 1 tablespoon margarine
- • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- • 1 large leek, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces
- • 1/3 cup vegetable
- 1 tablespoon coconut creme
- • 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
- • 1/3 cup baby peas, thawed
- • 1 tablespoon chopped tarragon
- • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425° and position a rack in the upper third.
- Turn the chicken legs skin side down on a work surface and cut halfway through the joint. Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper.
- In cast iron pan, heat half of the margarine and oil. Add the chicken, skin side up, and cook over high heat until browned, 5 minutes. Turn and cook the chicken for 1 minute. Set chicken aside on a plate.
- In the same cast iron pan, cook the leeks over high heat until just beginning to soften. Add the broth and vinegar and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper.
- Set the chicken on the leeks, skin side up; roast for about 25 minutes, until it is cooked through. Turn on the broiler and broil for about 2 minutes, until the skin is golden and crisp.
- Transfer the chicken to a platter.
- Place the cast iron pan over a burner and boil over high heat until the liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the peas, herbs and coconut creme and simmer until the sauce is hot and slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve.
i made it and i must say it was so so yummy..the chicken was so tender and the coconut creme taste was superb…thanks for sharing the amazing master piece with us all