Ingredients

6 chicken thighs (skin-on & bone-in)

Kosher salt (for dry brine)

2 tbsp olive oil

1 lemon (1 side whole and 1 side in thinly sliced half moons)

1 pinch cane sugar

1 pinch salt

5 scallions (separate the greens from the whites)

1 tbsp miso

¼ tsp allspice

¼ tsp white pepper

1 tsp crushed red peppers

1 tsp honey

5 tbsp unsalted butter (cold)

Chicken bones (from deboning the thighs)

4 green onions (sliced)

2 celery ribs (sliced)

¼ onion (chopped)

2 garlic cloves (peeled)

1 tbsp black peppercorns

1 kombu strip

1 pinch salt (for stock)

2 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp rice vinegar

Water (to cover)

Instructions

Step 1: Dry-Brine the Chicken – Place chicken thighs skin-side down on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut around the bone to remove it. Save the bones in a plastic bag and refrigerate for stock later. Lay the deboned thighs on the board, cover with parchment or plastic wrap, and pound with a meat mallet until fairly thin. Place the chicken on a cooling rack over a baking sheet, pat dry, and sprinkle both sides with kosher salt. Refrigerate uncovered for 1 to 8 hours.

Step 2: Make the Chicken Stock – Add the saved chicken bones to a pot with green onions, celery, onion, garlic, and black peppercorns. Drizzle olive oil and sauté until browned. Cover with water, add the kombu strip, a pinch of salt, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. Simmer for 45-60 minutes, adding water as needed. Strain the stock and set aside.

Step 3: Cook the Chicken – Remove chicken from fridge, pat dry, and rub skin with olive oil. In a cold pan, place chicken skin-side down over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Lower heat to medium-low and cook for 20-25 minutes until skin is browned and fat has rendered. Flip chicken, increase heat to medium-high, and cook 5-7 more minutes until internal temperature reaches 175℉-180℉. Remove chicken and keep warm.

Step 4: Prepare the Lemon – Cut the lemon in half, leaving one half whole and slicing the other into thin half moons. On medium heat, add lemon slices to the pan, sprinkle with cane sugar and salt, and caramelize for 3-4 minutes. Flip and cook another 1-2 minutes until soft. Mince the cooked lemon slices and set aside.

Step 5: Make the Sauce – In the same pan on medium heat, add the white parts of scallions and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Stir in miso, allspice, crushed red peppers, and white pepper. Raise heat to medium-high and add 1½ to 2 cups of the homemade chicken broth along with honey. Reduce the sauce by one-third. Turn off heat, add cold butter, and stir until emulsified. Add a squeeze of lemon. Return chicken to the pan for a few minutes to absorb the sauce, avoiding pouring sauce over skin to keep it crisp.

Step 6: Serve – Plate some sauce, place chicken on top, and sprinkle with the green parts of the scallions. Enjoy your flavorful Lemon Scallion Chicken!

Tips & Variations

For extra crisp skin, make sure to cook the chicken skin-side down in a cold pan and render the fat slowly at medium-low heat.

If you don’t have kombu, you can omit it or substitute with a small piece of dried seaweed for umami.

Adjust crushed red peppers according to your preferred spice level.

Serve with steamed rice or roasted vegetables to make a complete meal.

FAQs

Can I use boneless chicken thighs instead of bone-in?

Yes, you can use boneless thighs, but you will miss the flavor that bones add to the stock and cooking process. Consider adding store-bought chicken stock to compensate.

Is it necessary to dry-brine the chicken?

Dry-brining helps to achieve crispy skin and juicy meat by drawing out moisture and seasoning the chicken deeply. It’s highly recommended for best results, but you can skip it in a pinch.