Cast iron chicken thighs with lemon-caper butter sauce

• 4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighsabout 250g each, patted very dry with paper towels
• 1 ½ tsp fine sea salt
• ½ tsp black pepperfreshly ground
• 1 tbs avocado oil
• 45 g unsalted butterdivided into 15g and 30g portions
• 1 shallotfinely diced
• 3 garlic clovesthinly sliced
• 2 tbs capersdrained, roughly chopped if large
• 80 ml dry white wine
• 1 lemonjuiced, about 30ml
• 10 g fresh flat-leaf parsleyroughly chopped

1. 1

   Remove the chicken thighs from the fridge 20 minutes before cooking so they come closer to room temperature. Pat the skin side extremely dry with paper towels — this is the single most important step for crispy skin. Season both sides generously with the salt and pepper.

   Tip: Moisture is the enemy of crispy skin. Really press those paper towels into the skin to wick away every drop.

2. 2

   Set the cast iron skillet over medium heat and add the avocado oil and 15g of butter. Once the butter melts and starts to foam, place the chicken thighs skin-side down in the pan. Press each thigh gently with tongs to make sure the entire skin surface contacts the skillet.

   Tip: Don't crowd the pan — the thighs need about 2cm of space between them so steam can escape and the skin crisps properly.

3. 3

   Cook skin-side down without moving the chicken for 12-15 minutes over medium heat. Resist the urge to peek — you'll hear it sizzling steadily. The skin should release easily from the pan when it's ready, and it should be deep golden brown and visibly crispy. If the fat is splattering aggressively, lower the heat slightly.

   Tip: The long, uninterrupted sear renders the fat under the skin and creates a shatteringly crispy crust. If it sticks when you try to lift it, give it another minute.

4. 4

   Flip the chicken thighs to the flesh side. Cook for another 10-12 minutes until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part (avoiding the bone) reads 74°C (165°F). The juices should run clear when you pierce the meat near the bone.

   Tip: The flesh side cooks faster since most of the work happened during the skin-side sear. Keep the heat at medium.

5. 5

   Transfer the chicken thighs to a cutting board, skin-side up, and let them rest while you build the sauce. Don't tent with foil — that'll steam the crispy skin.

6. 6

   Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of the rendered chicken fat from the skillet, leaving all the browned fond on the bottom. Return the skillet to medium heat. Add the diced shallot and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and translucent, about 2 minutes.

   Tip: That fond (the dark brown bits stuck to the pan) is pure flavor. The shallot will help deglaze it.

7. 7

   Add the sliced garlic and capers to the skillet. Cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic is fragrant and just starting to turn golden at the edges, about 1 minute. The capers will sizzle and pop — that's exactly what you want.

8. 8

   Pour in the white wine and use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape up every bit of fond from the bottom of the skillet. Let the wine bubble and reduce by about half — it should go from splashy liquid to a slightly syrupy consistency, about 2 minutes.

   Tip: The alcohol cooks off quickly. If you don't have wine, use 60ml of chicken broth with an extra splash of lemon juice.

9. 9

   Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the remaining 30g of cold butter and the lemon juice. Swirl the pan continuously until the butter melts into a glossy, emulsified sauce that coats the back of a spoon. Stir in the chopped parsley.

   Tip: Adding the butter off the heat and swirling (instead of stirring over flame) keeps the sauce emulsified and silky rather than greasy. Cold butter works better than room temp here.

10. 10

    Spoon the lemon-caper butter sauce over the rested chicken thighs, making sure to get plenty of capers and shallot bits on each piece.

• cast iron skillet (30cm (12-inch))
• instant-read thermometer
• cutting board
• chef's knife
• tongs

Per serving

Nutritional values are estimates only.