Lemon Thyme and Garlic Roast Chicken Thighs

After a long day at work, the last thing I want to think about is preparing a meal. Often, by the time I get home, it’s past 8pm, my brain has turned to mush and often the dinners I’ll have are leftovers or something rustled up in as short a time as possible ensuring I get a little time to relax before bed. The oven is often my savior in these cases, and it’s possible to make something delicious and easy from scratch in no time. This recipe for lemon thyme and garlic roast chicken thighs is one of those recipes, perfect for a weeknight supper with little fuss.

Chicken thighs are by far my favorite part of the bird. Prepared correctly, the meat is tender and succulent and is often inexpensive compared to other parts of the chicken. The trick to getting the perfect combination of juicy meat and crispy skin is to pan fry the thighs skin side down until browned and the fat rendered before transferring to the oven for 15-20 minutes to cook through. If you own a cast-iron skillet, it can be made in the same pan.

Preparing the roasting tin

The chicken thighs, once browned nicely, finish in the oven roasted on a bed of sliced lemon, garlic and plenty of lemon thyme (plus a few sprigs on top). The sharp lemon and garlic with the woodiness of the thyme make a quick and elegant supper served alongside some blanched green veg finished in the pan used for the chicken (tender stem broccoli or some beans are great). In addition, the juices from the roasting tin when sieved make up a lovely sauce for the dish, perfect for mopping up with some slices of leftover bread you have lying around. You can have this meal on the table in 30 minutes and if you've made a large batch, then you’ll have leftovers for a few more meals to come.

Lemon Thyme and Garlic Chicken Thighs

(Serves two people)

Ingredients

- 4 bone-in chicken thighs
- 1 lemon
- Small bunch of lemon thyme
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 2 tbsp. of olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 250g tender stem broccoli

Method

- Preheat a fan oven to 200C.
- Prepare the roasting tray by lining it with parchment paper and arranging thin slices of lemon, sprigs of lemon thyme and roughly chopped garlic on the bottom in a single layer.
- Heat some olive oil in a pan on medium heat and fry the chicken thighs skin side down until the fat has rendered out, and the skin is crispy and a golden brown.
- Transfer the chicken thighs to the roasting tray by arranging them skin side up on top of the bed of garlic, lemon thyme, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and add a few more sprigs of lemon thyme on top. Discard half of the oil and fat from the pan. Put the pan to one side.
- Roast the chicken in the oven for 15-20 minutes until cooked through and the juices from the thighs run clear when you insert a knife into the center.
- Blanch the broccoli in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, drain and fry in the pan used form browning the chicken until tender.
- Once cooked, remove the chicken from the tray and sieve the juices at the bottom into a bowl.
- Serve the chicken thighs with the vegetables with a nice drizzle of the sharp sauce to finish.