This recipe is courtesy of our friend Olivia over at IG: @liv_3kurtz
There are few kitchen appliances and tools that I push for people to own and cook with and a cast iron skillet is one that falls on that short list. They’re relatively inexpensive and the same one will be by your side in your kitchen for years, decades even!! They conduct even heat at a high temperature which is perfect for producing that crispy, brown char to meats and, you guessed it, mushrooms (thank you maillard reaction!!). My other favorite feature of cast iron is that it is both stove and oven safe, making this an enjoyable one-dish meal that starts on the stove and finishes in the oven. If you don’t have cast iron, any stove-to-oven pot or pan will do. This recipe yields crispy, juicy chicken and tender, caramelized R&R mushrooms with fluffy rice to round out this dish as a complete dinner.
Spiced Cast Iron Chicken and Mushrooms
5 Servings
Ingredients:
- 2# bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1# R&R hearty cespitose (dense clustered) mushrooms, such as lion's mane and maitake
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- Spice blend of 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp sweet paprika, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp cayenne
- 1 cup rinsed white rice, such as basmati
- 2 cups chicken, beef, or vegetable broth
- Freshly chopped dill or cilantro
- Olive oil, as needed
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Steps:
- Preheat your oven to 425° F. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Place them skin side down in a large, cold cast iron or oven-safe skillet without any oil. Turn on heat to medium high and leave undisturbed for 10 to 12 minutes. Turn them over when the skin releases and cook for 2 minutes on the other side. Remove from the pan.
- While the chicken sears, prep your mushrooms. Tear your maitake and lions mane into large pieces that match the size of the chicken thighs. If your mushroom blend is already in small pieces, that will work as well, though you’ll want to cook them for a few minutes less.
- Add the mushrooms to the chicken fat in the skillet over medium heat and toss to coat. Cook for 5 minutes on one side. Flip mushrooms and cook for another 3 minutes. Add garlic, rice and spice mixture and toast for 2 minutes, adding more oil if needed.
- Nestle back in your chicken thighs skin side up and gently pour in your broth.
- Place in the oven on a middle rack and bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, until the chicken and rice are both fully cooked through. Add additional broth to plump up the rice if needed while it bakes.
- Top with fresh dill and enjoy!
