The crispiest chicken with tomatoey beans, salsa verde drizzle and tarragon aioli
Chicken so good you'll want to eat it straight from the pan
There is something so comforting about crispy chicken. Much like a roast chicken, it instantly soothes. Often when you go to a friends house they will say rather apologetically, that it’s “just roast chicken and salad” but I assure you that is nothing to apologise about, to me that is heaven. Chicken is an ultimate comfort food. It’s as much for mid-week minimal fuss suppers as it is for long and languishing weekend meals. It’s enduring popularity is I think due to its sheer versatility, and obviously deliciousness. It’s so good served with so many things but these beans are my current favourite. They essentially act as a creamy canvas - the beans soak up all and every flavour you offer them, becoming little flavour bombs.
Beans are really having a moment right now. Not that they haven’t always been popular but recently I’ve noticed they’re being given more main character energy. Butter beans, cannellini and flageolet are my favourite. I’ve spoken of my love of Bold Beans before and honestly, I couldn’t recommend them more. They don’t pay me (sadly!). But they make the most delicious beans, served in lovely glass jars and they will change the way you think about beans. A little pricier than you might be used to for beans, but I promise they are worth it. Truly delicious. Beans are such a useful ingredient to have in the cupboard and there are so many ways you can use them. This butternut squash and butterbean gratin has been a big hit, and this steak with bean mash was very popular so worth checking out. Or simply tip your beans into the roasting tray when you’re roasting a chicken and allow them to soak up all the roasting juices. Once the chicken is cooked stir a little creme fraiche through the beans and a little lemon juice and chopped parsley and it’s the perfect accompaniment to the chicken. I also like making my favourite pasta sauce and then warming it through with some good quality butterbeans for a slightly lighter and very speedy mid week meal. V v good.
If you’ve been reading Dinner Tonight for a little while you will know that I love chicken thighs, skin on and bone in, they are what I most definitely cook the most often. More often than not I will bung them in the oven, drizzled in a little olive oil and a pinch of Maldon salt and forget about them for 50 minutes or so whilst I get on with something else. They get gorgeous crispy and are perfectly cooked every time.
However, sometimes I don’t have 50 minutes to hang around, I need my crispy chicken fix a little quicker and this is what I’m going to show you today. Cooked in a pan, the fat rendered out by adding a little weight to the chicken as it cooks and my goodness this results in really juicy chicken with perfectly crispy skin. I love chicken cooked this way. It takes about 11 minutes and really couldn’t be easier. Slice this up and add to salads, warm roasted vegetables, or eat straight from the pan with greedy abandon. IT’S SO GOOD.
Now of course the beans and the chicken would make a delicious meal. And you could just make those parts and be happy. But you know I just can’t help myself with the little something extras and a drizzle of salsa verde just elevates it and add to that a dollop of tarragon aioli and this is really so so good. I’m sharing my recipe for salsa verde and I honestly make this at least once a week, it’s goes well with so many things, a simple piece of fried sea bream with some wilted greens and buttery potatoes, or drizzled over lamb chops with crispy potatoes, or served with roasted cauliflower…the list goes on.
I really hope you love this one, I love love love seeing all your photos of you cooking the Dinner Tonight recipes. Keep them coming, it makes my day to see them! x
Serves 2