Chapter 4 · One pan, nothing to scrub
Sheet pan chicken thighs with carrots and onion
Two thighs with the skin gone brown and tight, sitting on carrots and onion that cooked in what dripped off them.
Makes: 1, with a second helpingPan: A quarter sheet pan, lined with foilHeat: 425°F ovenTime: 40 minutes
| What you need | For one | For two |
|---|---|---|
| Bone-in chicken thighs, skin on | 2 | 4 |
| Carrots, cut into thick sticks | 3 | 6 |
| Onion, cut into thick wedgesthe other half of the onion | 1/2 | 1 |
| Oilwith salt and black pepper | 1 tablespoon | 2 tablespoons |
- Heat the oven to 425°F and line the pan with foil.
- Toss the carrots and onion with the oil, salt and pepper and spread them over the pan.
- Pat the thighs dry with a paper towel and salt the skin well.
- Set them skin side up on top of the vegetables, not touching each other.
- Roast 35 to 40 minutes without opening the door.
- Let them sit 5 minutes on the pan before you move them.
It is done when: A thermometer in the thickest part of a thigh, away from the bone, reads 165°F and the skin is brown and tight.
One thing worth knowing. Dry skin and no foil over the top. A wet thigh steams under its own moisture and the skin comes out the colour of a dish rag. Setting the thighs on the vegetables keeps them up out of the fat, so the skin crisps and the carrots cook in the drippings instead of in oil.
The other half. You opened a package of chicken thighs and used part of it; the rest of the package, which keeps in the freezer. It goes into Barbecue chicken thighs, in the chapter “Slow cooker for one”.
