More things to do with things in jars

Hi everyone,

I've been planning to post about this recipe for a while. It's pretty easy, needs just one sauté pan and is absolutely delicious.  It's from the folks at Bon Appetit. Here's our ingredients list:

• 1 Tablespoon of olive oil
• 8 chicken thighs (The recipe calls for bone-in, skin-on, but I've made it without either and it came out just fine)
• Kosher salt
• Fresh-ground pepper
• 1 small onion, finely chopped (which works out to about half a cup.)
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped (you can also use a couple teaspoons of jarred chopped garlic)
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste. (read the ingredients when you're shopping, some have salt and/or sugar, and who needs extra of those?)
• 1/4 Cup harissa paste (more on that below)
• 1/3 Cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (which I always seem to forget to add)
• Lemon wedges for serving. I recommend at least one lemon per person.

About harissa. It's a chili paste that originates from Tunisia. Naturally, it's going to vary in intensity according to exactly where in the region you're getting it. The good news? You can get prepared harissa in a jar from Amazon just use 1/2 a cup or more to taste. This is the brand I use: 

Preheat your oven to 425 F. Heat the oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper (I sometimes use garlic salt in place of kosher salt here). In two batches, cook chicken until browned, about 5 minutes a side. Remove chicken to a plate.

Here the recipe says to drain off all but 1Tablespoon drippings out of the pan. I am not that exact, but if that's what makes you feel comfortable, go ahead and measure. 

Add onion and garlic to the pan, stir frequently (as in don't leave it to sit more than 10 seconds at a time) until the onions are softened (almost translucent and a bit yellow), about 3 minutes:

Add tomato paste and cook until it darkens, about one minute. Add chickpeas, harissa, and chicken broth, bring to a simmer. 

Nestle chicken, skin side up in the chickpeas, transfer skillet to the oven. Roast until chicken is cooked through, about 20-25 minutes. Top with parsley, and serve with lemon wedges.

If you would rather go with skinless chicken thighs, I recommend the following change: Instead of building your chicken a nest in the chick peas, bury them thoroughly. 

Here is where I would normally put a picture of the finished product, ready to serve. To my great embarrassment, the battery in my camera died right after the onion picture.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? I'd love to hear from you.