Pan Fried Salted Chicken Thighs

Trim any excess fat off boneless chicken thighs, but keep the skin on. Salt thorougly on both sides (be fairly light-handed or it will be too salty), then let rest, loosely covered with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator for at least an hour. You can leave it like this overnight.

When you’re ready to cook the chicken, heat up a grill pan or a non-stick frying pan. No oil should be needed for the frying pan, but you may want to lightly brush some oil on a grill pan. (This method also works great for the barbeque grill.)

After the resting time there will be a little or a lot of moisture around the chicken (free-range chicken will have just a little, while cheap supermarket chicken may be sitting in a pool of water!) Blot off all the moisture completely, plus any excess salt on the surface. Add some freshly ground pepper at this stage.

Put the chicken skin down on the grill pan or frying pan, making sure not to crowd the pan. Cook over medium heat until the skin is golden brown. Turn over, and cook a few minutes more until the meat is cooked through. Let it rest for a few minutes before slicing.

Alternatively you can bake the thighs at 200°C / 400°F for 20 minutes with the skin down, then 20-25 minutes with the skin up. Tossing a few rosemary sprigs on the baking sheet enhances the flavor even more.

Serve with a wedge of lemon. This chicken is great hot or cold, and makes a great bento chicken or sandwich filler. Try it for a picnic as an alternative to fried chicken.