Skillet Rosemary Chicken

My wedding gift from one of my very best friends was a beautiful cookbook that she created by asking all of the women in my life to contribute recipes to it.  It is filled with so very much love, photos, and yummy recipes.  Jack and I decided that we are now on a mission to make every single recipe in that book.  This is one of those recipes.

My cousin, Audrey Fay submitted this recipe.  You will need to have a cast-iron skillet for this one.  Two things that would be helpful to have on hand are tongs and one of those juicer things - not the machine, but the one you can use by hand.

It sounds simple when you read the title, but when you make it and then sit down and bite into it - you will be amazed and probably add it to your favorite dinner recipes. Enjoy!

3/4 lb small red-skinned potatoes, halved, or quartered if large (I used three medium sized ones and quartered them)

Kosher salt

2 sprigs fresh rosemary, plus 1 1/2 tablespoons leaves

2 cloves garlic, smashed

Pinch of red pepper flakes

Juice of 2 lemons (squeezed - but reserve the halves!)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4-6 skin-on, bone-in, chicken thighs (6 to 8 oz. each) (we accidentally bought skinless, boneless and it was delicious all the same)

10 ounces cremini mushrooms, halved

Preheat the oven to 450.  Cover the potatoes with cold water in a saucepan and salt the water.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until tender, about 8 minutes; drain and set aside.

Pile the rosemary leaves, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt and the red pepper flakes on a cutting board, then mince and mash into a paste using a large knife.  Transfer the paste to a bowl.  Stir in the juice of 1 lemon and the olive oil.  Add the chicken and turn to coat.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken, skin-side down, cover and cook until the skin browns, about 5 minutes.  Remove chicken from pan; add the mushrooms and potatoes to the skillet, place chicken over mushrooms and potatoes and drizzle with any marinade remaining in the bowl and the juice of the remaining lemon.

Add the rosemary sprigs and the squeezed lemon halves to the skillet; transfer to the oven and roast, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is crisp, 20 to 25 minutes.