Pan Roasted Chicken Recipe

Prep chicken

Pat the chicken thighs very dry with paper towels. Season both sides liberally with kosher salt (about 1.5 tsp total) and freshly ground black pepper.

Sear chicken

Heat a large heavy skillet (cast-iron preferred) over medium-high heat until hot. Add 2 tbs neutral oil. Place the chicken thighs skin-side down in the pan without crowding. Press gently to ensure even contact. Sear undisturbed until the skin is deeply golden-brown and releases easily, about 6–8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, flip the thighs and add 1 tbs unsalted butter to the pan. Spoon melted butter over the chicken and cook an additional 4–5 minutes until internal temperature reaches 155–160°F (68–71°C). Remove chicken to a plate and tent loosely with foil; reserve pan fond and rendered fat for sauce and mushrooms.

Prepare mushrooms and aromatics

While the chicken rests, trim and quarter the chestnut mushrooms if large (leave small ones whole). Thinly slice the shallots and mince the garlic. Strip thyme leaves from most stems, reserving 1–2 whole sprigs if you like.

Sauté mushrooms

Return the skillet with the reserved fat to medium-high heat. If the pan looks dry, add up to 1 tbs oil. Add mushrooms in a single layer and let them brown without stirring for 2 minutes, then stir and continue to sauté 3–4 minutes until nicely caramelized. Add the sliced shallots and cook 2 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and thyme leaves and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Remove about half the mushrooms to the plate with the chicken; leave remainder in the pan to build the sauce base.

Deglaze

With the pan over medium heat, add the dry white wine (3 fl oz) to deglaze, scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon. Let the wine reduce by about half, roughly 2–3 minutes. Add the vin jaune or dry sherry (1 tbs) and let it sizzle for 30 seconds.

Make sauce

Pour in 1 cup chicken stock and bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce the stock by about one-third, 5–7 minutes, to concentrate flavor. Stir in heavy cream (1/4 cup) and Dijon mustard (1 tsp), then simmer another 2–3 minutes until slightly thickened.

Finish sauce

Off the heat, whisk in the 2 tbs cold cubed unsalted butter one piece at a time to emulsify and add sheen. Stir in lemon juice (1/2 tsp) and season with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper, tasting and adjusting as needed. Return the reserved mushrooms (both plate and pan) and any accumulated juices to the skillet and warm gently for 1–2 minutes so mushrooms are coated in sauce.

Nestle the rested chicken thighs back into the pan, skin-side up, spooning sauce and mushrooms over them. Warm everything together 2–3 minutes until the chicken reaches final safe temperature (165°F / 74°C) and sauce is hot but not boiling. Spoon additional sauce over the chicken.

To serve, divide chicken and mushrooms among 4 plates or family-style from the skillet. Sprinkle chopped parsley (2 tbs) and microgreens if using. Serve with lemon wedges to brighten the dish.