Picture a pot of creamy white beans, silky spinach, and sweet, slow-melted vegetables, with golden chicken thighs nestled right in the middle, their skin crowning the stew, shattering-crisp and burnished to a deep mahogany. That’s the dream here, and it’s easier to pull off than you’d think.
The secret is a two-part cooking method. First, sear the thighs skin-side-down until the skin turns deeply golden and starts to crackle. Then set them into the stew with the skin held above the liquid, and slide the pot into a gentle oven. Below, the meat braises until it’s spoon-tender and practically falling off the bone. Above, the skin keeps roasting, growing crisper and more lacquered by the minute. The result is chicken that’s juicy, deeply savory, and topped with skin that out-crunches any roast chicken you’ve ever had.
Resist the urge to crank the heat. Fat is a fantastic insulator, so even in a screaming-hot pan, it takes time for heat to work its way through the skin and render that fat. Plan on about eight minutes, but let your eyes and nose guide you more than the clock. You’re looking for deep golden brown (never pale!) with the skin just starting to blister. Since it will keep darkening in the oven, flip the chicken when it’s a shade or two lighter than your final goal.
When the chicken is tender, the skin is crackling, and the broth has reduced to a rich, spoonable sauce, finish with a bright drizzle of minced rosemary, lemon juice, and good olive oil. It’s a small flourish that makes the whole pot sing.
NOTE: If you would like the finished dish to be less soupy, only use the liquid from one can of beans instead of two.
Crispy Braised Chicken with White Beans and Spinach
Ingredients
For the chicken and beans:
- 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, about 2 1/2 lbs.
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- MSG, to taste (optional)
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1/2 large onion, finely diced
- 1 medium carrot, finely diced
- 1 large celery stalk, finely diced
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 4 medium garlic cloves, roughly minced
- 5 oz. baby spinach
- 2 (15 oz.) cans white beans, such as cannellini or great northern, with their liquid (see head note)
- About 1 cup chicken stock or water, plus more as needed
For the lemon–rosemary oil:
- 2 tsp. very finely minced fresh rosemary leaves
- 1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
- 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 5 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving if desired
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- A pinch of MSG (optional)
Directions
- Heat the oven and season the chicken. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). For a countertop oven, use the lower rack, with adequate clearance above the pan. Pat the chicken dry and season on both sides with salt, pepper, and a little MSG, if using.
- Brown the chicken. Heat the olive oil in a wide, oven-safe braiser or deep sauté pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the chicken skin-side down in a single layer. Cook, adjusting the heat as necessary, until the skin is deep golden brown and some of its fat has rendered, about 8 to 12 minutes. Flip and cook until lightly browned on the second side, about 1 to 2 minutes. (It may be necessary to brown the chicken in two batches.) Transfer to a plate, skin-side up, leaving the rendered fat in the pan. If there is an unusually large amount of fat, spoon off the excess, leaving about 2 tablespoons.
- Sweat the vegetables. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and rosemary sprigs. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables have softened without taking on much color, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Build the braise. Add the spinach and cook, stirring, until wilted. Add the beans with their liquid and enough stock to make a brothy stew, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer. Taste and season lightly with salt and pepper, leaving the liquid slightly less salty than you want the finished dish.
- Add the chicken and braise. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan. Nestle the thighs into the beans skin-side up, keeping their skin above the liquid. Add a little more stock if needed, or spoon some liquid out if it covers the skin. Transfer to the oven and cook uncovered until the chicken is very tender and the skin is crisp, about 45 minutes. Check the pan during cooking; if the beans begin to dry out, add a little stock or water around the chicken.
- Make the finishing oil. Meanwhile, while the chicken rests briefly, stir together the minced rosemary, lemon zest, lemon juice, and olive oil in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and MSG, if using.
- Finish and serve. Remove the three rosemary stems from the beans (or leave them in and let your guests pick them out themselves, the lazy ingrates). Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning. Drizzle the lemon–rosemary oil over the beans and around the chicken. Serve in shallow bowls with the chicken skin-side up on top of the beans and spinach. Add another drizzle of good olive oil if you like.
Adapted from a recipe by J. Kenji-Alt
