Samin Nosrat’s genius simple chicken thighs are SO GOOD you will want a conveyor belt to run it into your mouth.
It’s kind of a one ingredient dish – Conveyor Belt Chicken. In Samin Nosrat’s cooking bible (it’s not just a cookbook) Salt Fat Acid Heat, she refers to this “recipe” in a page of text that reads like a book – it’s because there really isn’t an ingredient list, or much for instruction. It’s the kind of recipe that teaches you how to cook – simply. Hot cast iron conducts heat so well for a crispy skin sear that rivals chicken from a fancy restaurant – made in minutes. I LOVE this chicken. My family loves it. Anyway, it’s a good one – make it!
Conveyor Belt Chicken with Chicken Fat Ciabatta Croutons
Crispy Skin Chicken Thighs served with Ciabatta croutons, simple and delicious.
Equipment
- Cast Iron Skillet
Ingredients
- 3 - 4 lbs deboned chicken thighs with skin ON
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- kosher salt and black pepper
- fresh thyme and red pepper flakes
- lemon wedges for serving with the chicken
- 1/2 loaf ciabatta bread torn into croutons about 4 cups of torn bread
Instructions
- You likely will need to debone the chicken thighs, which isn't horrible, but it's a bit of a task. Make sure to check for any small cartilage pieces when finished. If you can buy the thighs deboned from your butcher even better!
- At least 30 minutes before cooking, HEAVILY coat both sides of the chicken thighs with kosher salt and black pepper. I also use thyme and red pepper flakes, but the salt and pepper are great alone too. Set the chicken aside until ready to cook (if more than 30 minutes ahead, place in fridge and remove 30 minutes before cooking). If you have longer, you can salt it up to 8 hour ahead - it just penetrates deeper.
- When ready to cook, heat a heavy cast iron skillet over medium high flame and prepare a smaller skillet to weigh down the chicken during cooking. You can use a second skillet, a foil wrapped brick, a lid with weights - anything to put decent pressure on the chicken to help render the fat during cooking.
- If your chicken thighs have a lot of skin, you won't need oil. However, if skin is minimal (not overhanging the actual chicken thigh itself), heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the hot skillet. Place the chicken in the skillet, skin side down, being careful to not overcrowd the pan. Depending on the size of the thighs, this would be 2 or 3 at a time. Place your smaller second skillet on top of the chicken, to weigh it down, and let cook for aboue 5-7 minutes, depending on size. You want the skin brown and crispy, and the thighs cooked almost all the way through before flipping. When ready, flip and cook just 2 minutes more . Remove to a plate and prepare the next round until all the chicken is cooked.
- When through cooking the chicken, leave all the drippings in the pan, and toss in the ciabatta croutons, stirring to coat evenly in the fat. Sprinkle with kosher salt and cook until golden brown and crispy all over. Serve with the chicken thighs, sprinkled with more salt and fresh thyme leaves - a squeeze of lemon juice can brighten things up.
Notes
This recipe is minimalist cooking at its finest - use only the best ingredients, and don't be afraid to use high heat. The pan might splatter, but your weight pan or lid will help keep this in check.
