Crispy Chicken Thighs with Leeks and Mushrooms

Author and food writer Lidey Heuck created this special Crispy Chicken Thighs with Leeks and Mushrooms recipe just for TABLE Magazine. The recipe comes ahead of the release of her first book, Cooking in Real Life. This cookbook is an homage to simple, doable recipes that you can make any night of the week with the ingredients in your home. Also with a forward by Ina Garten, it’s filled with recipes that will become staples for your kitchen.

Crispy Chicken Thighs with Leeks and Mushrooms Recipe

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

2 lb skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs, about 4-6 thighs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil and more as needed
1 large leek, trimmed, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced, about 3 cups
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
8 oz cremini or shiitake mushrooms, or a mix, cleaned and 1-inch diced
3 large garlic cloves, minced
½ cup dry white wine
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Chopped fresh parsley, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and heat a large 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel and then season them with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Add the oil to the skillet and then working in batches if necessary to avoid crowding, place the chicken thighs in the pan, skin-side down. Cook for 4-6 minutes, until the skin is golden brown and the chicken releases easily from the pan. Flip and cook for 1 more minute on the other side, then transfer to a plate and set aside.
3. Reduce the heat to medium, and add the leeks and thyme to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are tender but still bright green, 3-5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they’ve released their water, about 5 more minutes. (Add a splash of olive oil if the pan looks dry at any point.) Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute, until fragrant.
4. Add the wine and cook, scraping the bottom of the skillet, until almost all the liquid in the pan has evaporated. Off the heat, stir in the mustard, along with ½ teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper.
5. Return the chicken thighs to the pan, skin-side up, nestling them into the vegetables. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the chicken thighs are cooked through. (An internal thermometer inserted into the center of a thigh should then read anywhere from 175-190 degrees.)
6. Cool for at least 10 minutes, then sprinkle with parsley, salt and pepper and serve directly from the skillet.

Recipe by Lidey Heuck / Photography by Tara Donne

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