Lemon Chicken Thighs w/ Citrus Salsa Verde
This dish has so many possible variations with the roasted citrus salsa verde. In my version, I stirred it into my veggies which brightened up the whole meal. Any left? Blend it until smooth and toss it with some greens for a rich and delicious salad dressing. Bright lights, big flavors!
Servings Prep Time
4people 20minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
90minutes 2hours
Servings Prep Time
4people 20minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
90minutes 2hours
Ingredients
For the Chicken
For the Salsa Verde
Instructions
For the Chicken
  1. Run fingers under skin of each chicken thigh to create a pocket. In each pocket, place 1 sage leaf, 1 slice of garlic, and 1 slice of butter. Transfer chicken to baking dish.
  2. In a small bowl, stir lemon zest with smashed garlic, chopped herbs, and crushed red pepper.
  3. Drizzle olive oil over herbs and mix to incorporate.
  4. Pour herb and olive oil mixture over chicken thighs. Cover and refrigerate at least two hours, or overnight.
  5. Remove chicken from refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature, about 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Heat large ovenproof skillet over medium high heat. Season chicken with salt & pepper. Reserving the marinade, sear the thighs in hot skillet, skin side down, until skin is golden brown and crisp, about 15 minutes.
  6. Turn chicken over and scatter lemon zest and garlic from marinade over thighs. Roast in oven for about 30 minutes until chicken is golden brown and cooked through (juices should run clear when meat is pierced).
  7. Serve with side of sauteed pea pods tossed with salsa verde.
For Salsa Verde
  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On baking sheet, toss lemon slices with olive oil, salt & pepper, and spread in even layer on baking sheet. Bake for 16-18 minutes until lemons begin to char on the bottom. Let cool and then dice lemons into 1/4 inch pieces.
  2. Mash oregano & mint with chopped garlic and salt until paste forms. Slowly drizzle in olive oil and toss with chopped lemon.
Recipe Notes

Thanks to my Print-Spiration from January, 2015’s Food & Wine magazine, this was a fantastic mid-week meal for the hubster and me.  Served with a simple side of sauteed pea pods and a twice baked potato, it was the perfect end to an otherwise boring Tuesday.

But what to drink…?

Sauteed Pea Pods w/ Citrus Salsa

As for a wine with this light and tasty dish, Food & Wine recommends a Sangiovese, which I like as a pairing, too.  However, for another medium-bodied red that also pairs well, try a Barbera if you haven’t before.  Not familiar with this wine?  Well, get caught up!  It’s a great grape that pairs nicely with food, and holds up really well against the roasted flavor of these chicken thighs.  I love the Barberas coming out of Virginia these days.  One of the better ones is the Barboursville Barbera Reserve.  Can’t find this particular bottle?  Ask your wine shop for a suitable substitute.

So dark meat, dark wine–welcome to the Dark Side!