CRISPY CRACKLING CHICKEN THIGHS

What's better than Crackling, Chicken Crackling thats what!

What a great family show stopper dinner that will have everyone running to the table!  A simple dinner that is elevated to the highest flavour levels just simply by the the cooking method!  I cook crispy crackling chicken thighs all the time, in fact several times a week as my hubby uses them as (fridglet nibblits) but their never as fully crisped up as this, just a little tweak in the preparation and cooking method has made this our all new family favourite.  Serve with mayo slaw, flat breads and siracha, stuff, wrap and enjoy.

Cooking time 15 minutes

Ingredients

(Serves 4)

8 chicken thighs boned out

Himalayan sea salt 

1 tbsp vegetable oil

Place your cast iron skillet on a medium high heat.

Season the thighs with the salt, place the vegetable oil in the skillet, place the thighs skin side down in the skillet.

Leave the chicken skin side down for around six minutes, don't be tempted to turn it over or check it, this is how the crispy crackling skin is made.  

At six minutes lift up the thighs to check for crispy crackling, if golden brown and crispy then turn over, if not cook for a further 2 minutes, then turn over and cook for a further 2 minutes.

Remove the skillet from the heat and leave the chicken to rest, uncovered, for a few minutes before serving.

Serving suggestions, glorious buttery mashed potatoes or flatbreads, slaw and salad.

PAELLA VALENCIANA CRISPY CRACKLING CHICKEN AND PRAWN

Big Green Egg Cooking

Indirect cooking 200 C - 220 C.

Equipment: 

Paella pan for two or shallow casserole dish, lid or foil.

10 minutes preparation / 20 minutes cooking

Ingredients 

(serves 2)

100ml olive oil

1 knob of butter for the prawns

1 tsp sea salt

10 grinds pepper mill fresh black pepper

6 cloves garlic sliced (reserve one for the prawns

1 Spanish onion finely diced

3 chicken thighs skin on, boneless

3 large fresh prawns head and shell on

1 cooking chorizo diced

250g Spanish Calasparra rice

1.3 litres chicken stock

1 good pinch saffron (Spanish La Mancha)

1 tsp smoked paprika 

2 sprigs thyme leaves chopped

1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley

Place your paella pan or a shallow casserole dish on the Big Green Egg, add the olive oil, season the chicken thighs skin side only with the salt, place the chicken thighs skin side down in the pan, Do Not Turn for 8 minutes, this will ensure you create crispy chicken crackling skin, turn over and cook for a further 2-3 minutes, remove from the pan, keeping all the chicken fat in the pan and reserve to one side, uncovered.

 To the pan add the onions, garlic and chorizo to the pan, soften for 10 minutes.

Add the saffron, smoked paprika, thyme and black pepper, stir once to combine.

Add the rice, stir once to combine.

Add the chicken stock and again stir only once to combine, this is so you do not release the starch and end up making the paella stodgy and more like a risotto.

Cook for 12 minutes until almost all the chicken stock has been absorbed, this will result in (socarrat) a crispy caught bottom of the paella, the best bit ! 

Place the prawns in a pan with a glug of olive oil, a knob of butter and sliced garlic, cook for 1.5 minutes each side, then nestle in the paella and push into the rice, take the paella off the heat and leave to rest for five minutes with a lid on or a foil tent.

Remove the lid, add the reserved chicken thighs and nestle into the paella, rest for a further 2 minutes then serve immediately.

Enjoy with family, warm fresh sour dough bread and a beautiful bottle of red wine.