Crispy Chicken Thighs With Peppers, Capers and Olives

Name: Crispy Chicken Thighs With Peppers, Capers and Olives
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 6 large bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2 pounds); Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal) and black pepper; 2 garlic cloves, grated or minced; 2 large sprigs rosemary, very roughly chopped; Pinch of red-pepper flakes; Grated zest and juice of 1 small lemon (about 1 teaspoon zest and about 3 tablespoons juice); 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 2 medium red onions, sliced in 1/4-inch half-moons (about 3 cups); 6 bell peppers, in assorted colors, if possible, sliced 3/8-inch lengthwise (about 8 cups); Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal) and black pepper; 3 garlic cloves, grated or minced; Pinch of red-pepper flakes; 1/2 cup green olives (like Castelvetrano); 1/2 cup black olives (like Niçoise); 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar; 1 tablespoon capers, roughly chopped; Pinch of dried oregano

By David Tanis

Published Sept. 1, 2021

Crispy Chicken Thighs With Peppers, Capers and Olives — David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Total Time: 1 hour, plus marinating
Rating: 4(519)
Comments: Read comments

The Italian technique employed here — sautéing chicken with a weighted pan on top — is called al mattone. It yields a crisp, burnished skin and very juicy meat. Instead of the usual spatchcocked bird, this recipe calls for large bone-in, skin-on thighs. Cook them in a cast iron pan, if you can, for even heat, but any heavy skillet will do. For a bit of smokiness, the chicken may be cooked (in the cast iron pan) over a charcoal grill. The accompanying sweet pepper stew can be made up to a day in advance and reheated, and starting your seasoning early — an hour ahead or up to 24 — will result in the tastiest chicken.

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings

For the Chicken

6large bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2 pounds)
Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
2garlic cloves, grated or minced
2large sprigs rosemary, very roughly chopped
Pinch of red-pepper flakes
Grated zest and juice of 1 small lemon (about 1 teaspoon zest and about 3 tablespoons juice)
4tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

For the Peppers

2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2medium red onions, sliced in ¼-inch half-moons (about 3 cups)
6bell peppers, in assorted colors, if possible, sliced ⅜-inch lengthwise (about 8 cups)
Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
3garlic cloves, grated or minced
Pinch of red-pepper flakes
½cup green olives (like Castelvetrano)
½cup black olives (like Niçoise)
2tablespoons red wine vinegar
1tablespoon capers, roughly chopped
Pinch of dried oregano

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Start the chicken: Pat chicken dry and place in a large bowl. Season well with salt and pepper. Add garlic, rosemary, red-pepper flakes, lemon zest and juice. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and toss the thighs to coat, using hands to smear the mixture evenly over the chicken. Let marinate for 1 hour at room temperature, or, if time permits, overnight in the refrigerator.
Step 2
Make the peppers: Put 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, wide skillet with a lid over medium-high heat. When oil begins to look wavy, add onions and stir to coat. When the onions begin to soften (don’t let them brown), add peppers and stir to combine. Season well with salt and pepper, and add garlic and red-pepper flakes. Stir to incorporate and reduce heat to medium. Cover, leaving the lid ajar.
Step 3
Cook mixture for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until completely soft. Add olives, vinegar and capers, and cook for a few minutes more, just to meld the flavors. Taste and adjust seasoning. Sprinkle with oregano. Set aside. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Step 4
Cook the chicken: Place a large cast iron or heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat. Add remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. When oil is wavy, add chicken thighs, skin-side down. Shake the pan to make sure the chicken isn’t sticking.
Step 5
Lower the heat to medium. Place a piece of parchment or aluminum foil on top of chicken and set another skillet on top. Add some weight — a brick or canned goods, for example — to the top skillet. Set heat to low and cook for 20 minutes, checking occasionally to be sure chicken isn’t sticking, until the skin side is beautifully browned.
Step 6
Turn thighs over and cook for 10 minutes more, until thighs are cooked through. (To test, pierce the chicken with a paring knife. The juices should run clear.) If you wish, turn the thighs skin-side down again and let crisp for a few more minutes.
Step 7
Serve 1 thigh and a large spoonful of stewed peppers to each guest. Leftover peppers, if any remain, will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Ratings

4 out of 5

519 user ratings

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Comments

Charlie3 years ago

Note that he lowers the heat to medium immediately after putting the thighs in the pan and then to low once the weight is added. Thirty minutes on low for 5 oz thighs will not result in "dry and stringy".

S3 years ago

I used all these ingredients but threw them on a sheet pan for an easier weeknight dinner. Let's blame Melissa Clark? I basted the chicken a few times with its own juices. It was delicious! I will try the weighted pan method another time and see what the difference is.

Michael3 years ago

Most chicken sold at retail has about 5% retained water from the chilling process after slaughter. This is probably what is causing the excess liquid. Bell & Evans sells air-chilled chicken that is not submerged in water after slaughter. These chickens are available at Whole Foods and elsewhere.

MK3 months ago

Boring recipe. Fussing with the pans and weighting down the chicken just produced a lot of grease and not much flavor. The vegetable mixture was also pretty ordinary. Generally not worth the trouble. I could have thrown it all on a sheet pan and would have gotten a more satisfactory result, although it would still have lacked interest.

Amber5 months ago

This would have been better on a sheet pan and less trouble. Adding the lemon juice was a mistake I will not repeat. Lemon zest is enough. Adding the juice resulted in too much water coming out of the chicken, so the thighs weren't crispy.

Valerie1 year ago

Hmmmm. Shame on me for not reading it through before I bought the ingredients and started. Not a favorite at all. Chicken burned. But was sort of raw. The pepper mixture was dry. I added stock. Messed around with chicken temp again but not a favorite. I cook a lot and this was a let down even though it looked good from the ingredients. Doubt I'll make it again.

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