Crispy Chicken Thighs w/ Whipped Garlic Feta & Roasted Shallots

perfect weekday meal

A good, crispy chicken thigh is a thing of beauty. Paired with roasted garlic, whipped feta, caramelized shallots, blistered tomatoes, and gorgeous olives? There are no words to describe it.

Here’s the recipe.

Ingredients:

chicken thighs

2 chicken thighs- skin on

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cumin powder

1/4 tsp coriander powder

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp chili flakes

(mix all the spices together)

whipped feta

1 block feta

2 tbsp greek yogurt

5-6 mint leaves

2 tsp honey

1/2 a lemon

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

salt and black pepper to taste

veggies

3-4 shallots peeled and sliced in 1/2

1 pack of cherry tomatoes on the vine

1 head of garlic, sliced crosswise

1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives

Method:

Preheat your oven to 190 C/375 F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place your shallots, tomatoes, and olives on the pan. Drizzle olive oil and a good pinch of salt- give it all a good mix.

Place the sliced garlic on a piece of parchment paper or foil. Pour some oil on top and a sprinkle of salt. Wrap it up and twist so that it’s sealed within a pouch. Place the garlic with the veggies on the baking sheet.

Roast for 30-35 minutes or until super roasted and caramelized. You want to have a deep, charred color.

When it’s done roasting, take the garlic out and check it out. It should be super soft. Turn the oven off, and keep the rest of the vegetables there to stay warm.

Take your chicken thighs and pat them completely dry. Season with a good pinch of salt on the skin-side.

Place in a cold pan, skin-side down, and put the heat to medium-low.

This will allow the skin to slowly render and become super crispy. It takes 8-10 minutes to do. Don’t try to lift the chicken if it’s sticking to the pan- that means it needs longer.

Season the other side of the chicken with the spice mix. Make sure it’s coated completely.

While the chicken is rendering, put the feta, yogurt, honey, mint, pepper, and olive oil in a food processor. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves in as well. Blend until smooth. If it’s too thick, add water until it is the consistency you like. Taste and add salt and lemon if you want. Set to the side.

When the chicken skin is golden and crispy, flip the thigh over. Cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 180-185 F. Let rest for 5 minutes. If you don’t have a thermometer, poke a hole in the thickest part of the thigh. If the juices run clear, it’s cooked.

On a plate, put the whipped feta down. Then top with the roasted shallots, tomatoes, and olives. Place the chicken thigh and drizzle with the juices of the vegetables on the baking sheet. Top with some torn mint and black pepper.

Enjoy!