Pan-roast a big batch of thighs, then serve them all week in different dishes (including the ultimate crisp-skinned chicken). Your future self will thank you.
If ever there was a way to feel you were reaching some life admin goals, it’s by having the forethought to pan-roast enough chicken for multiple (varied and delicious) meals for the rest of the week.
I love to buy about 2 kilograms of skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs and let them sit overnight in a bath of olive oil, garlic and lemon zest. This basic marinade means you can take the dish in many directions and not worry about clashing flavours.
My key tip for the ultimate crispy McCrisp of all crisp-skinned chicken is to leave the excess oil on the chicken and place the pieces skin-side down in a cold frying pan.
Turn the heat to low and let the chicken cook, the skin slowly rendering, for at least 15 minutes. I then turn up the heat to medium(ish), so the skin gets a lovely golden tan like it’s spent a month on a beach in the Greek islands.
Flip the pieces over and cook them for another 10 minutes. It might seem like an age but the slow start, combined with having the bone in, means it will take longer for the chicken to cook through.
This method works best for smaller batches of chicken. But to prep 2kg of chicken, cook in batches in a large frying pan, skin-side down, to get lovely crisp skin then transfer to 1-2 large roasting dishes, skin side up and finish in the oven (preheated to 180C fan-forced or 200C conventional) until cooked through.
Once cooked, you can serve the chicken then and there with a salad and call it dinner. Or you can set it aside to turn into many other dishes, like the four recipes I’ve shared below.
Slow-cooked chicken thigh ragu
Almost as soon as I’ve pan-roasted a batch of chicken pieces, I get this ragu on the stove. It’s such a delicious full-bodied sauce to have on hand. Serve it with pasta, spread over a pizza – you name it, you can use it. It also freezes like a dream, so your future self will thank you profusely.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 1 celery stalks, washed and diced
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 red chilli, deseeded and diced
- 1 x 140g tub tomato paste
- ¾ cup loosely packed herbs (I used a combination of parsley, basil and tarragon)
- 375ml white wine
- meat of 4 roasted chicken thighs, finely diced
- 750ml chicken stock
- generous knob of butter
- pappardelle (or other pasta ribbons) and parmesan, to serve
METHOD
- Add the olive oil to a deep frying pan or cassoulet dish and place over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add the vegetables, garlic and chilli in a large saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is fragrant but not taking on colour.
- Reduce the heat to low and allow the vegetables to soften and caramelise for up to 15 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and herbs and stir until the mixture begins to brown (2 minutes). It should look as if it is coming away from the sides of the pan. Add the wine and cook until almost completely reduced. Add the chicken and stock and cook on low heat for 30-40 minutes until it looks thick and glossy. Add the butter and stir until it has melted and mixed through. Season generously with sea salt flakes and pepper.
- Serve with pappardelle and a shower of parmesan, or reserve for future use.
Serves 4-6
A simple but excellent slaw with chicken and peanut sauce
Slaw is the ultimate salad-with-staying-power, making it a prep-ahead dream. It is also the ultimate way to stretch a little leftover chicken further.
It may initially seem like there isn’t enough dressing, but keep working it through and you’ll find it’s just the right amount to coat the salad without making it soggy, a true crime against food.
As a rough guide, I use about 2 cups of shredded chicken for this salad, but you can use what you have or add more – either is excellent. Bulk it out with some store-bought bao buns and fresh chilli, or serve with steamed rice.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 small purple cabbage, finely shredded
- ½ green cabbage, finely shredded
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and shredded
- ½ cup chopped coriander leaves
- 3-4 makrut leaves, vein removed, finely sliced
- 1 spring onion, green part only, sliced
- ¼ cup sliced Thai basil leaves
- about 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
- ½ cup fried shallots, to serve
Peanut dressing
- ⅓ cup smooth peanut butter
- juice of 2 limes
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 5cm knob ginger, finely grated
METHOD
- In a large bowl combine the cabbage, carrot and herbs. You want an even mix of colours.
- To make the dressing, whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl, adjusting the flavour to taste.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and using your hands, toss until evenly coated. Add the chicken and toss briefly again.
- To serve, turn the salad out onto plates, drizzling over any excess dressing and scattering generously with fried shallots.
Serves 4-6
Chicken and eggplant borani
I love this borani, which is based on a traditional yoghurt-based Iranian dish, for its flexibility – you can add a skerrick of leftover chicken or pan-roast pieces intentionally for the final flourish. Either way, it is wonderful scooped into a warm pita.
INGREDIENTS
- 400g-500g eggplant, trimmed and sliced lengthways into even slices
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, grated
- ½ tbsp turmeric powder
- ½ tbsp ground coriander
- ½ tbsp ground cumin
- generous pinch of chilli flakes
- 3 beefsteak or aroma tomatoes, cored and sliced
- 2-4 cooked chicken thighs, skin and meat shredded
- toasted pine nuts and extra dill to serve
Yoghurt sauce
- 1 cup Greek yoghurt
- ½ cup chopped herbs (I used a combination of oregano and dill)
- zest of 1 lemon
- juice of ½ lemon
- sea salt flakes and pepper to season
METHOD
- Preheat oven to 180C fan-forced (200C conventional). Line a baking tray with baking paper and spread the sliced eggplant out in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and season generously with sea salt flakes and pepper. Roast until golden and soft, between 20 and 30 minutes. Remove and roughly chop – you want big pieces so you get a lovely texture.
- Warm a pot over medium heat, add a splash of olive oil and then add the eggplant. Add the garlic and spices and cook, stirring, to coat. Add the tomatoes then simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until the tomatoes have released their juices, softened and you have a glorious thick and chunky sauce. At this point, either add the chicken and warm it through, or add it when serving – whichever you prefer.
- While the dish cooks, make the yoghurt sauce by adding all the ingredients to a bowl and stirring to combine.
- Turn the borani onto a serving platter. Dollop over the yoghurt and add the toasted pine nuts and dill. Season with sea salt flakes, cracked pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. If you didn’t add the chicken to the eggplant mixture, top with the shredded chicken and serve.
Serves 4-6
Sumac and charred lemon chicken thighs with tzatziki
I love to give pre-cooked chicken thighs a second turn in the pan to warm them up, adding spice to the skin for extra flavour. If you bunged some chips in the oven while heating the chicken, you could serve this with piping hot fries, maybe swaddled inside a large, warm pita. And I would applaud the deliciousness of your meal.
INGREDIENTS
- 6-8 chicken thighs
- ½ tbsp sumac
- ½ tbsp dried oregano
- ½ tbsp dried thyme
- 1 lemon, chopped into chunks
Tzatziki
- 1 Lebanese cucumber, grated
- 1½ cups Greek yoghurt
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
- pinch dried oregano
- pinch dried thyme
METHOD
- Place a frying pan over medium heat. Add the smallest smidge of olive oil and let it warm up. While it’s getting hot, rub the chicken with the sumac and dried oregano, focusing mostly on the skin. Place the chicken in the pan skin-side down. Throw in the pieces of lemon and cook for 5-10 minutes, or until the chicken has warmed through and the lemon chunks are taking on a little char.
- Meanwhile, make the tzatziki by adding all the ingredients to a bowl and stirring gently to combine. Season generously with sea salt flakes and pepper and set aside.
- To serve, scoop the tzatziki onto a serving platter. Top with the chicken pieces and chunks of charred lemon. I scattered over some zucchini flowers I had in the fridge. You could also top it with basil and mint leaves.
- Drizzle over a little olive oil, season with sea salt flakes and freshly ground pepper and serve, with or without hot chips and warm pita.
Serves 4-6
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