GUEST BLOG - One Chicken and Rice with Caramelized Lemon

 Kevin made this NYT recipe tonight and it was very good and definitely one to do again. The only thing we substituted was brown rice because that is what we had on hand. Oops he missed the smashed and roughly chopped part.

Yield:4 servings

• 4bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 1½ pounds)
• Salt and black pepper
• 2teaspoons dried oregano
• Crushed red pepper
• 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2lemons
• 1cup pitted Castelvetrano or kalamata olives, smashed and roughly chopped
• 6garlic cloves, minced
• 1medium shallot or ½ medium onion, minced
• 2cups long-grain white rice, rinsed
• 4cups (32 ounces) chicken broth
• ¼cup roughly chopped fresh parsley, for serving
• Step 1

  Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Use paper towels to pat the chicken thighs until dry on all sides. Season the chicken with 1 teaspoon each salt, pepper and dried oregano and a pinch of crushed red pepper.

1. Step 2

   Place a large Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat and add oil. Let oil heat up for a few minutes. Add thighs to the pot, skin side down, and let cook undisturbed until they self-release from the bottom of the pot, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pot and set aside.

1. Step 3

   Cut 1 lemon into ¼-inch-thick slices. Add to the pot and cook until caramelized and softened, about 2 minutes. Remove from the pot and set aside.

1. Step 4

   Add the olives, garlic, shallot and 1 teaspoon each salt, pepper and dried oregano to the pot. Cook over medium-low heat, scraping browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until garlic is fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the heat up to high, add the rice and broth to the pot, stir to combine and cover until it comes to a boil, about 5 minutes.

Step 5

Remove the pot from heat, add the browned chicken thighs on top of the rice, skin side up, then cover the chicken thighs with the lemon slices. Place the pot, covered, into the oven and bake until the rice and chicken are fully cooked, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve topped with fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice.