Another day in quarantine, another recipe! This recipe adaptation comes to us from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa at Home, as I peruse my way through! This dinner delight is delicious and filling! Ina Garten calls for skin-on boneless breasts, but I opted for bone-in thighs instead!
I love the way the basil's earthiness and the richness of the garlic and goat cheese complement the chicken.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Ingredients:
6 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on
8-10 oz. goat cheese -- get the good stuff (click to learn more)
2 cloves of garlic
olive oil -- get the good stuff (click for my favorite olive oil)
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
FIRST: Dump a tablespoon of good olive oil onto a sheet pan and spread around. Then, place your chicken thighs on the sheet pan. Using your fingers, loosen the skin on one side of each thigh, creating a flap, leaving the other attached.
THEN: Cut the goat cheese into 1/2-inch thick slices, and place 1-2 slices and a basil leaf or two under each flap of chicken skin, tucking the flap as tightly as possible. Create a neatly wrapped piece, and return the chicken to the pan. Using 2 tbsp. olive oil and your hands, rub each piece of chicken, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grate garlic cloves evenly over the thighs.
FINALLY: Bake at 375 for 40 minutes, checking the internal temperature in at least three different places with a reading above 170 degrees. Serve hot or at room temperature.
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