Ever since we entered September, all I’ve wanted to do is lie in bed, wrapped up in a quilt with the breeze blowing through my open window, and read. Well, that and gorge on comfort foods (ahem, see that time I baked and ate way, way too many chocolate cookies).
My latest addition to my fall comfort food repertoire was these roasted chicken thighs. I baked the chicken with sliced red potatoes and made a 2-minute pan sauce with capers, lemon, parsley, and a few dots of butter. It ended up being exactly what I was looking for–minimal effort with big comfort food results and just the sort of thing I’d happily eat any night of the week.
The ingredients list is short and basic for cozy, simple food. You’ll just need chicken thighs, a few red potatoes, a shallot, lemon, capers, and parsley.
Season and sear the chicken, then add sliced potatoes to the pan and pop it in the oven to roast.
When the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender and browned here and there, pull them out and make your sauce. Sauté a shallot, scraping up all the little bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add capers and plenty of lemon juice, then stir in a pat of butter and a handful of parsley. Done!
Spoon the caper and lemon sauce over the chicken and potatoes and dinner is ready. I served mine over heap of arugula to cut the richness and add a peppery bite. I ate and thought about the words I’d use to describe my dinner: easy, inexpensive, comforting, totally delicious, and definitely bound to become a staple at my table this fall and winter.
- 4 Chicken Thighs (about 1½#)
- Olive Oil
- 6 Red Potatoes, thinly sliced
- 1 Shallot, thinly sliced
- 2 Tbsp. Capers
- juice of 1 Lemon (3-4 Tbsp)
- 2 Tbsp. Butter, cut into a few pieces
- handful of chopped Parsley
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a large, oven-proof sauté pan. Place the chickenin the pan, skin side down, and sear until the skin is golden, about 6 minutes. Flip the chicken and drain off most fat. Add the sliced potatoes around the chicken and season. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Toss the potatoes once or twice to prevent them from sticking.
- Transfer the chicken and potatoes to a warm platter and loosely tent with foil. Place the pan back on the stove, over medium-high heat, and add the sliced shallot. Saute, scraping up any little bits that might be stuck to the pan, until the shallot is translucent, 1-2 minutes. Add the capers, lemon juice, and about 3 Tbsp. water and simmer for a minute, allowing the liquid to reduce and the flavors to blend. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Finally, stir in the parsley and season as needed with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pour the sauce over the chicken and potatoes and serve.
Other cool weather comfort dinners you might enjoy:
-
- Roast Chicken with Apple Cider Pan Sauce
-
- Pork Tenderloin with Maple-Walnut Vinaigrette
-
- Baked Risotto with Chicken Thighs, Lemon & Scallions
-
- Baked Pasta with Pumpkin, Caramelized Onions, and Chevre
-
- Apple, Onion & Sharp Cheddar Grilled Cheese Sandwich
A lovely simple meal, well executed.
This chicken dish looks incredibly delicious.. loving the combination of flavours. Definitely a perfect and flavoursome weeknight meal, thanks for sharing the recipe!
You’re welcome, hope you enjoy it!