Recipe #7: Skillet chicken thighs with spiced rice & black beans

Aka, the sexiest rice I've ever made.

A weekly recipe, created by me, with flavour, vibrancy & health, always at the forefront.

I had a thought provoking conversation the other day with my highly thoughtful, curious, and academic chemist friend that opened my eyes to the concerns around non-stick coatings on pans. I’m yet to go down the rabbit hole, and I’m yet to watch the film about the poor townspeople who lived near the Teflon factory, but what I did learn was highly disturbing. These companies use materials to coat their pans that, when tested thoroughly, get banned. They are simply not safe for humans to consume in any dose - they cause cancer. To counter this, companies simply modify the chemicals by adding parts, and calling them different names. We’re still consuming the same family of chemicals - they’re just called something different.

My mini rabbit hole taught me that copper, stainless and cast iron pans are the safest options. As luck would have it, I own a cast iron skillet slash Dutch oven pan which I love using for baking sourdough. Amazingly, cooking with cast ironware helps counteract iron deficiencies, which, I (and a lot of women) have. Isn’t that the coolest thing ever? Instead of little bits of toxic chemicals flaking off and building up in our bodies, causing genetic mutations that lead to cancer, little bits of iron are infusing in our food, getting absorbed into our bloodstream, and helping our red blood cells function. I much prefer this thought, to the other.

My first foray into skillet cooking was this one pot wonder of a dish, that I have to share with you. All the work is done in one pan (I used the deeper side of my skillet). The chicken is seared and the vegetables and spices are cooked off, before layering the rest of the ingredients on top. It’s slid into the oven, and that’s your dinner done, almost in its entirety. I served it with some steamed asparagus & tenderstem, because that’s what needed using, with lots of lime squeezed over everything. A simple addition of avocado and lime would be the perfect accompaniment, too.

(As well as being the tastiest thing I’ve made all week, it was also one of the cheapest.)

Ingredients
1kg skin on, bone in chicken thighs (my packet had 5)
2 brown onions, thickly sliced
2 peppers, thickly sliced
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 chillis, red or green, chopped
1 cinnamon stick (don’t skip this, it brings a lot to the party)
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tin black beans, rinsed
150g cherry tomatoes, halved
600ml stock (chicken or vegetable), warm on the stove or use the kettle
200g basmati rice, rinsed
1 lime, zested
to serve
Fresh chopped coriander
Sliced avocado
1 lime, juiced
Creme fraiche or soured cream

Method
- Preheat oven to 180°C.
- Prepare all the vegetables. Drizzle some EVOO over the chicken thighs and season with flaky salt.
- Place the skillet over a medium-high heat.
- Sear the chicken thighs in the hot pan, skin side down, first. The fat will render out of the skin and it will go crispy. After about 10 mins, flip onto the other side to sear.
- When golden and crisp, remove the chicken from the skillet and set to one side.
- Reduce the heat slightly, and add the onions & peppers to the hot pan. Use the lid to create a steamy environment, so the vegetables don’t burn. Give them a stir every now and then, for about 10 minutes. Don’t be afraid to turn the heat up high, and let them catch a bit, to give them a golden edge.
- When they’ve softened, add the garlic, chillis, cinnamon stick and cumin. Turn the heat to low, pop the lid on, and let that cook out a bit, giving it a stir every now and then. You want to take the raw edge off the garlic, and cook out the spices to release their flavour.
- Season with flaky salt & cracked black pepper. Scatter the black beans over the layer of spiced, sautéed vegetables. Scatter over the cherry tomatoes, then the rice, the lime zest, then carefully pour over the hot stock.
- Nestle the chicken thighs on top, skin side up.
- Slide the skillet, uncovered, into the hot oven. Let it cook for 45-50 minutes.
- Remove it from the oven, and let it sit for 5-10 minutes, while you prepare the toppings.
- Serve it with sliced avocado, lots of fresh lime, chopped coriander and a spoonful of creme fraiche (my favourite) or sour cream.

The juices from the chicken infuse into the rice, and it honestly makes the most sensational Mexican style rice I’ve ever had. Next time, I’m going to switch it up and make it a little more Middle Eastern - I’m thinking preserved lemon, chickpeas, ras el hanout and olives. The possibilities with this one pot chicken skillet are, I think, endless?

I’m also making a mental note to make this the next time I have guests round for dinner. The 45-50 minute window of it being in the oven is a dream to switch off, and enjoy some conversation! Does anyone else have any skillet dishes they love? I’m also learning how to season it between uses, so it has a long and happy life. Let me know what you think in the comments section below!