This is one of our favorite go-to recipes for a quick weeknight dinner. It is largely based on the highly acclaimed French chef Jacque Pepin’s Crusty chicken recipe, but I made some minor modifications to tailor the doneness and seasoning of the chicken to our own liking. We also served it with a traditional Vietnamese crispy rice (com chay), hence the “fusion” nature of this meal. Unfortunately, we do not have a picture of the crispy rice to share at the moment, but we will be sure to post one when we stroll across this recipe again in the future. The recipes below are quick, straightforward, and simple. Enjoy!
Modified Jacque Pepin Crusty Chicken Recipe with Mushrooms and Onions
Ingredients:
– 4 Chicken Thighs, skin on
– 3/4 teaspoon of salt
– 3/4 teaspoon of pepper
– 1 cup of diced onions
– 2 cups of washed, diced white mushrooms
– 1.5 tablespoons of chopped garlic
– 1/4 cup dry white wine
Directions:
1) Make slashes on chicken thighs on both sides (about 1 inch apart) to help the chicken cook evenly.
2) Season both sides of chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
3) Place chicken thighs on a COLD pan with skin side down, then turn heat on pan to high.
4) When chicken starts to sizzle, turn heat down to medium, and cover pan with lid. Let cook for 10 minutes.
5) Flip chicken after 10 minutes (note the crispy, golden brown chicken skin!) and cook on other side for 6-8 minutes with the lid off (otherwise the skin will get soggy). Plate chicken.
4) Pour off and save the chicken fat, leaving 2 tbsp in the pan; add garlic, mushroom, and onions to saute. Season with salt and pepper. Add white wine and cook until the onions are clear.
Vietnamese Crispy Rice
Ingredients:
– 2 tablespoons of chicken fat (from step above) or just olive oil
– 2 cups of cold, leftover white rice
– 2 cloves of chopped garlic
– 1 chopped scallion
– 1/2 teapoon salt
Directions:
1) Add chicken fat or oil, garlic, and scallions to a pan and saute over medium heat until fragrant.
2) Add cold white rice to pan, saute with garlic and onion, stir to break up rice (if it is all clumped together).
3) Pat rice down against pan and place a heavy bowl on top, turn heat up to med-high and let rice sit for 3-5 minutes, a crusty layer of golden rice should form along the bottom of the pan.
4) Flip rice over and serve!
Pat and Nancy's Food Adventures 