Skillet Chicken

By Dan Aukes

Ingredients

  • 2 lemons, juiced
  • ⅓ cup olive oil
  • 6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
  • 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons ground paprika
  • ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 ½ pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 4)
  • 1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
  • 1 ½ cups long-grain white or sprouted short-grain brown rice
  • 2 ¾ cups boiling water
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • ½ cup raisins
  • ½ cup chopped fresh mint, for serving
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for serving
  • Plain yogurt, for serving
  • Lime wedges, for serving

Directions

  1. Combine the lemon juice, 1/4 cup of the olive oil, the garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, cumin, paprika and turmeric in a large resealable plastic bag along with the chicken pieces. Seal and shake the bag to coat chicken and distribute the spices evenly. Set aside for 30 minutes, or refrigerate up to overnight.
  2. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade, letting the excess drip off, and cook until lightly golden, about 4 minutes per side. Remove to a plate.
  3. Add the onion to the pan, and stir to coat. Decrease heat to medium and cook until softening, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and remaining salt, and stir to coat. Add the boiling water; stir, cover and cook until the liquid is partly absorbed, 10 minutes. Stir in the cinnamon stick and raisins, top with the chicken thighs and their juices, and continue cooking, covered, over medium heat, until the rice is al dente and the chicken is completely tender, about 25 minutes more.
  4. Remove from the heat and scatter the mint and parsley all over the top. Serve warm, with yogurt and lime.

Tip

Some cast-iron skillets come with a matching lid, which is useful for making the skillet operate a bit like a mini stove-top oven, cooking evenly and basting the food with flavor and steam. If you don’t have one, use a lid from another pan, or two layers of thick foil, folded at the center and large enough to cover your pan.