Crispy chicken thighs with yogurt, mojo verde and lime pickled onions
Serves 3-4
Ingredients:
Approx 1 kg, skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (aka chicken cutlets)
Salt
500g cocktail (baby) potatoes, split in half
1+1 Tbls. Extra virgin olive oil
Mojo verde:
60g coriander (1 large bunch or two small)
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tsp salt
1.5 tsp toasted cumin seed
1.5 tsp dried oregano
1 small green capsicum (aka green pepper), or half a large capsicum, split in half and seeds and stem removed
1-2 jalapeños, seeds removed (or left in if you like spicy)
Lime pickled onion:
1 red onion, peeled and sliced thin
Juice of 2 limes
Salt
To serve:
½ cup Greek yogurt
Method:
NOTE BEFORE BEGINNING: For the crispiest chicken thighs, leave your chicken thighs atop a paper towel lined baking tray, skin side up and uncovered, in the refrigerator, for at least 24 hours before cooking and up to 72 hours. This helps to ensure the skin is super dry before frying which is what makes it really crispy.
Preheat your oven to 200C conventional (180C fan-forced). Season your chicken liberally all over with salt. Don’t worry if the salt doesn’t stick to the dry skin. You can season it again before it goes in the oven.
Heat a large sautee pan (I like cast iron for searing) on high heat on your stove. Don’t overcrowd the pan and be prepared to cook chicken thighs in two batches as needed. Add the tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and spread it around to evenly coat the bottom. Cook the chicken thighs, skin side down, for 2-3 minutes or until the skin becomes crispy and golden brown but not burnt. Be careful as the oil tends to splatter and pop a little while cooking the chicken. When they are browned on the one side only, place them on a large baking paper lined baking tray, skin side up and sprinkle the skin with salt again. Again, do not overcrowd the pan, spread them out so they are not touching each other.
Toss the potatoes with the remaining olive oil, salt and black pepper and scatter them around the chicken thighs.
Bake in the oven for 45 minutes.
While the chicken bakes, make the mojo verde by combining all ingredients in the blender and blending until smooth. Set aside.
To make the onions, combine the sliced onions with the lime juice and a good pinch of salt in a medium sized jar or Tupperware. Seal it, shake it to combine everything and keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
After the 45 minutes of roasting, remove the chicken and potatoes from the oven and allow to rest of at least 5 minutes before serving atop a schmear of the yogurt, a drizzle of the mojo verde and a smattering of pickled onions.
Any remaining mojo verde or pickled onion will keep for several days in the fridge.
Please note, the mojo verde may discolour as the days go on due to the reaction of the vinegar and the green herb but it will still be delicious.