Perfect Pan-Roasted Chicken Thighs (with Rosemary Garlic Pan Sauce)

I have this insatiable curiosity about recipes that are labeled the "perfect" anything.  If the recipe is for any dish that I have any interest in I have to try it.  I just have to.  So even though I am generally against dark meat chicken (or poultry of any sort), I had to try these Perfect Pan-Roasted Chicken Thighs.  Oh my god.  They are delicious.  The skin is amazingly crispy, the chicken is juicy and flavorful (without being greasy) - the chicken is just fantastic..  And I don't even like chicken thighs!  We made one of the pan sauces from the same Bon Appetit article, but I'm not even sure that the chicken actually needed it.  The rosemary garlic pan sauce was amazing to dip bread in, but while eating the chicken I found that I ignored it entirely.  We didn't drizzle it over the chicken.  Instead we served it on the side and dipped as necessary.  I think I dipped exactly two bites worth of chicken in the the sauce along with a huge hunk of whole wheat baguette.  It really is that good.

Recipe after the jump!

Perfect Pan-Roasted Chicken Thighs (with Rosemary Garlic Pan Sauce)

Adapted from Bon Appetit

June 2011

INGREDIENTS:

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

4 cloves garlic, skins removed and cracked with the flat side of a knife

1 large sprig rosemary

1/2 cup chicken stock

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.  Add garlic cloves and rosemary.

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. 

While chicken is resting, add 1/2 cup chicken stock to pan. Skim of chicken fat. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat.

Serve chicken with pan sauce.