Cast Iron Baked Chicken
This is the sort of recipe that punctuates the "comfort" in "Comfort Food". Not only do you get a gravy that you'll want to drink with a straw (a friend called it, "kick-ass-slap-yer-mamma"), but you'll get chicken that's succulent and perfect.
Equipment
- Cast Iron Frying Pan (12" is best). See recipe notes at the end for a link to what we used to make this recipe.
Ingredients
- 6 each Chicken Thighs (bone-in and skin-on)
- 1/4 cup Table salt
- 6 sprigs Fresh Thyme (use fresh thyme, not dried)
- 2 tablespoons Butter
Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon Sweet paprika
- 2 teaspoons Table salt (you can use Kosher salt, but make sure it is well-ground)
- 1 teaspoon Black ground pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Garlic powder (NOT garlic salt -- use garlic powder)
Gravy
- 1/2 cup White wine
- 1/2 cup Half and half
- 1/2 cup Water
- 2 tablespoons All-purpose flour
Instructions
Brine the Chicken
- I like to get a 6-pack of chicken thighs for this, as it fits perfectly into the skillet. Take the chicken out of the package and put it into a plastic container (with a lid) large enough to hold the chicken and the brine.Add the salt to 4 cups of warm water and make sure it's completely dissolved before pouring over the chicken. Place the lid on and put the container into the refrigerator for 2 hours.
The Seasoning
- Combine the ingredients for the seasoning. I like to use both smoked and sweet paprika, because the smoked paprika gives the chicken a hint of being in a smoker.
Bring it Together
- Drain the chicken and pat dry with paper towels.
- Put the cast iron fry pan into the oven, and preheat the oven (with the pan in it) to 450° (should take about 15 minutes, but that depends on your oven).
- Lay the chicken pieces, skin-side down, on a baking pan. Take pinches of the seasoning mix and dust (or sprinkle) onto the bottom side of the chicken. Use about 3/4 of the seasoning.Turn chicken over, and sprinkle the remaining seasoning on the skin.
- Make sure the chicken marinates with the seasoning for about 15 minutes.
- Take the hot fry pan from the oven and place on the stove top. Add the butter and let it melt.
- Tie the thyme sprigs with cooking twine and place into the middle of the pan.
- Lay the chicken skin-side down around the pan.
- Return to the 450° oven and bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, turn chicken over, and bake for another 15 minutes.
Gravy
- This will be an extremely rich gravy. If you're concerned for the amount of chicken and butter fat, you could remove the liquid from the pan and separate some of the fat, and return the chicken base to the pan. You can deglaze the pan with the wine in-between those steps. That would make a lower-fat gravy (with a bit less taste). Otherwise, you can follow these steps to create a rich gravy.
- Place the frying pan on a stove top burner, and bring heat to medium-high. Remove the thyme from the frying pan.
- Add flour and whisk in the pan. Add the wine and keep whisking.
- Add the half and half and water and keep whisking. The gravy should thicken. If it becomes too thick, add water to thin.
Notes
Inspired by Cook's Country.
Lodge Cast Iron Skillet
Lodge Cast Iron Skillet