lemon chicken with potatoes and chickpeas

It’s humbling that way every September, without fail, knocks me on my rump. One week, you’re breezy and unscheduled, reading books on a beach and tearing lobster apart with your bare hands (indeed, we were in Maine) and the next you’re realizing a certain fetid backpack was never emptied on the last day of school in June, scrambling for after-school care, and despite the fact that I work every week of the year, somehow there’s a lot more to do. If dinner can’t be made in one pan in which everything cooks at once, I haven’t been making it. And yet I’ve made this chicken dish four times in the last month; it’s clearly time to shout about it across the internet. I trace this back toa newsletterfromClare de Boerlast April (and if you don’t subscribe, you should; it’swonderful), in which she was on a mission to find a sheet pan chicken recipe that actually had crispy skin, and found it in a pan of chicken thighs with lemon and onion. I, too, am a crispy chicken skin skeptic; it’s not that I don’t believe itgetscrisp, but I find it rarely stays that way once it has rested or when other ingredients join the party. But, curiosity got the better of me — curiosity, but not, uh, any kind of adherence to the recipe as written because see above: I need everything to be a meal-in-one-pan right now. I added potatoes (because potatoes with chicken and lemon are excellent) and chickpeas (I’m honestly less clear on why, but it felt right) to a baking dish (not sheet pan) and despite all of my changes, was still entirely delighted with the outcome. The chicken thighs are utterly crisp on top and the lemon, onion, garlic, oregano, and olive oil underneath collect the chicken drippings and swirl it into a delicious sauce that perfumes the potato wedges and chickpeas as they roast. Rind-on lemon slices, something I often find to be an unwelcome interruption in dishes, are fantastic here, mellowed by the oil and general brothiness and sweetened by the onion. In one round, I tried to remove the chickpeas to simplify the dish and (I could not make this up) received an irritated text from a teenager: “Dad said you’re making the chicken without the chickpeas — why? I like them.” Unwilling to cross a15 year-olddemanding legumes, they’ve stayed. Podcast!A new episode of my podcast with J. Kenji Lopez-Alt,The Recipe with Kenji and Debis out and I’m a little biased but I think this is one of the most fun ones yet, onthe mighty BLT sandwich. You can listen to it anywhere you get your podcasts and catch up on any episodes you’ve missedright here. New episodes drop every other Monday. I hope you enjoy listening as much as we’re enjoying the conversation. 6 months ago:Turkey Meatloaf for Skeptics1 year ago:Simple Eggplant Parmesan2 years ago:Eggplant Involtini3 years ago:Baked Farro with Summer Vegetables4 years ago:Shaved Fennel and Crushed Olive SaladandCorn Coconut Soup5 years ago:Salted Caramel Pretzel Blondies6 years ago:Foolproof Cacio e Pepe7 years ago:Cheesecake Bars with All The BerriesandCorn Chowder with Chile, Lime, and Cotija8 years ago:Eggplant Parmesan MeltsandEven More Perfect Blueberry Muffins9 years ago:Angel Hair Pasta with Raw Tomato Sauce,Crispy Peach Cobbler, andCorn Chowder Salad10 years ago:Strawberries and Cream with Graham CrumblesandCorn Cheddar and Scallion Strata11 years ago:Almond-Crisped Peaches,Key Lime PopsiclesandZucchini Parmesan Crisps12 years ago:Mediterranean Baked Feta with Tomatoes,Leek, Chard, and Corn FlatbreadandVanilla Custards with Roasted Blueberries13 years ago:Hazelnut Plum-Crumb Tart,Zucchini Fritters, andNaked Tomato Sauce14 years ago:Eggplant Salad ToastsandPeach Shortbread15 years ago:Grilled Eggplant and Olive PizzaandPeach Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Frosting16 years ago:Slow-Roasted Tomatoes,Kefta and Zucchini KebabsandDimply Plum Cake17 years ago:Double Chocolate TorteandSpicy Soba Noodles with Shiitakes18 years ago:Moules Fritesand44-Clove Garlic Soup