Chicken Recipe

Prepare and marinate chicken

Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels. In a large bowl combine olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, smoked paprika, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper. Add the chicken and rub the marinade thoroughly under the skin and over the surface. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, ideally 2 hours (up to overnight).

Bring to room temperature

About 20 minutes before cooking, remove chicken from refrigerator so it comes closer to room temperature for even cooking.

Prep vegetables and oven

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). While the chicken marinates, slice the onion, cut the carrots, and halve the potatoes. Toss the potatoes and carrots in a drizzle (about 1 tbs) of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Sear chicken

Heat a large ovenproof skillet (cast iron preferred) over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbs olive oil and 1 tbs butter. When shimmering, place chicken skin-side down and sear without moving for 4–5 minutes until the skin is golden brown and releases easily. Flip and sear the other side for 2 minutes. Transfer seared chicken to a plate.

Sauté aromatics

Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 1 tbs butter to the skillet and sauté the sliced onion for 3 minutes until soft and beginning to color. Add the carrots and potatoes and cook, stirring, for 3–4 minutes to coat and begin browning.

Deglaze and assemble

Pour the chicken stock into the skillet to deglaze, scraping up browned bits from the bottom. Add thyme sprigs. Nestle the seared chicken pieces on top of the vegetables, skin-side up. Spoon any accumulated marinade (if refrigerated, discard any raw juices and only spoon the thickened marinade from the bowl) into the pan over the vegetables, not on the skin, to avoid steaming.

Roast until cooked

Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and roast for 25–30 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken (not touching bone) reads 74°C (165°F) and potatoes are tender. If skin needs additional browning, broil for 1–2 minutes at the end—watch carefully to avoid burning.

Rest and garnish

Remove skillet from oven and let chicken rest 5 minutes. Discard thyme sprigs. Spoon pan juices over the vegetables and chicken, sprinkle chopped parsley over the top, and serve warm.