Winner, winner, chicken dinner! These skillet-fried thighs are irresistibly crispy, thanks to a flattening technique using a skillet weighted down with soup cans. Yields 4 Total Time 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS 1/3 c. chicken stock - 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice - 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard - 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes - Kosher salt and freshlyground black pepper - 8 small bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2 1/4 pounds total) - 8 cloves garlic, smashes and skins removed
DIRECTIONS
Whisk together stock, lemon juice, mustard, rosemary, and pepper flakes in a bowl. Season with salt.
Heat a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat until hot, 1 to 2 minutes. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place, skin sides down, in the skillet. Place a second smaller skillet on top of chicken and weigh it down with soup cans. Cook until the skins are golden brown and crisp, 7 to 9 minutes.
Remove cans and top skillet. Flip chicken and reduce heat to medium-low. Add garlic and cook until the chicken is cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to a platter; reserve skillet. Add stock mixture to reserved skillet. Cook, scraping up any brown bits, until slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Spoon over chicken.