Chicken with Leeks
Deciding this recipe sounded too good to pass up, but having only a whole chicken, I opted to make the recipe using my whole chicken. I steamed the leeks in the microwave and added them to the chicken pot with 3 strips of bacon. It worked!!! This recipe is from Greg Atkinson with an addition of bacon by me.
Steaming the leeks while the chicken thighs start to roast gives them a tenderizing jump start. A sturdy aluminum half-sheet pan with a half-inch rim provides ample room for the chicken and leeks to turn golden brown in the oven. Don't crowd the chicken into a small baking dish or the moisture will accumulate and the meat will not brown or caramelize as it should. Skin-on, bone-in thighs are preferred, but the recipe will work with boneless, skinless thighs.
6 chicken thighs, preferably free-range organic
4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided
6 medium-sized leeks
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons water
3 strips bacon
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Season the chicken thighs with half of the salt and pepper and arrange them, skin side up, on an 18-by-13-by-1/2-inch aluminum half-sheet pan. Bake the thighs until the skin is beginning to crisp and some of the fat has rendered, about 20 minutes. (If using boneless, skinless thighs, cut the initial roasting time to 15 minutes.)
2. While the thighs are baking, trim the roots and the dark green tops away from the leeks to leave 6-inch stalks of white to pale green. They should still be attached at the root end. Split the stalks in half lengthwise and rinse the leeks under cold running water to remove any trace of grit. Put the trimmed and cleaned leeks in a steamer basket set over an inch of vigorously boiling water in a large saucepan. Cover the pan and allow the leeks to steam for 10 minutes.
3. Remove the chicken from the oven and transfer the pieces to a plate. With a pair of tongs, roll the steamed leeks in the chicken fat left on the pan with the olive oil, the remaining salt and pepper and the water. When they are coated with the fat and the seasonings, spread the leeks in a single layer on the baking sheet, distribute the chicken thighs and any juices they may have released evenly over the leeks and roast until the leeks are just tender and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.
4. When the leeks are cooked through, distribute the chicken thighs and leeks evenly on six dinner plates.
Steaming the leeks while the chicken thighs start to roast gives them a tenderizing jump start. A sturdy aluminum half-sheet pan with a half-inch rim provides ample room for the chicken and leeks to turn golden brown in the oven. Don't crowd the chicken into a small baking dish or the moisture will accumulate and the meat will not brown or caramelize as it should. Skin-on, bone-in thighs are preferred, but the recipe will work with boneless, skinless thighs.
6 chicken thighs, preferably free-range organic
4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided
6 medium-sized leeks
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons water
3 strips bacon
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Season the chicken thighs with half of the salt and pepper and arrange them, skin side up, on an 18-by-13-by-1/2-inch aluminum half-sheet pan. Bake the thighs until the skin is beginning to crisp and some of the fat has rendered, about 20 minutes. (If using boneless, skinless thighs, cut the initial roasting time to 15 minutes.)
2. While the thighs are baking, trim the roots and the dark green tops away from the leeks to leave 6-inch stalks of white to pale green. They should still be attached at the root end. Split the stalks in half lengthwise and rinse the leeks under cold running water to remove any trace of grit. Put the trimmed and cleaned leeks in a steamer basket set over an inch of vigorously boiling water in a large saucepan. Cover the pan and allow the leeks to steam for 10 minutes.
3. Remove the chicken from the oven and transfer the pieces to a plate. With a pair of tongs, roll the steamed leeks in the chicken fat left on the pan with the olive oil, the remaining salt and pepper and the water. When they are coated with the fat and the seasonings, spread the leeks in a single layer on the baking sheet, distribute the chicken thighs and any juices they may have released evenly over the leeks and roast until the leeks are just tender and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.
4. When the leeks are cooked through, distribute the chicken thighs and leeks evenly on six dinner plates.
