Crispy Chicken Thighs Over Vinegar Beans
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The words “brothy” and “beige” may not sound like the markers for a particularly delicious meal, but looks can be deceiving. “To me, brothy and beige is beautiful,” Christine Flynn explains in her new cookbook, A Generous Meal, and considering these crispy chicken thighs over vinegar beans, we agree. They’re flavorful, bright and vaguely French, yet still easy enough to make.
“I love this recipe for a quick and straightforward dinner,” she writes. “Chicken thighs are my favorite part of the chicken, and here they are well-seasoned and fried until the skin renders and is juicy and crisp. The thighs are then set aside while onions, wine, butter beans, citrus and olives are quickly introduced to each other in the same hot pan. Then the chicken is returned before everything gets placed in the oven so that the chicken cooks through while the other flavors deepen and catch all the chicken juices. Simple, but so good.”
Excerpted from A Generous Meal by Christine Flynn. Copyright © 2023 Christine Flynn. Photographs by Suech and Beck. Published by Penguin, an imprint of Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.
Ingredients
6 bone-in chicken thighs or 3 legs, separated
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as canola or grapeseed
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 red bird’s eye chile, split
½ cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Two 14-ounce cans butter beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
½ cup large green olives
Pinch of granulated sugar (optional)
1 lemon
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Using paper towels, pat the chicken dry and season all over with salt and pepper. In a deep ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the chicken, skin side down. Sear until the skin is crispy and golden, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side for about 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a clean plate. Pour all but about 2 tablespoons of the rendered chicken fat and oil into a small bowl and reserve it for future use.
3. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion to the skillet, and cook, stirring to prevent browning, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and chili and cook for about 1 minute. Increase the heat to high. Add the white wine and let it reduce for about 3 minutes. Add the vinegar, beans, stock, olives and sugar (if using). Using a vegetable peeler, remove the peel of the lemon in large strips. Add the peel to the skillet.
4. Return the chicken, skin side up, to the skillet and transfer it to the oven. Bake, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through or reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and squeeze the juice of the lemon overtop. Serve immediately. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
783 calories
45g fat
39g carbs
51g protein
4g sugars