ROAST CHICKEN THIGHS WITH WHITE BEANS, CHERRY TOMATOES, AND BASIL

ROAST CHICKEN THIGHS WITH WHITE BEANS, CHERRY TOMATOES, AND BASIL image

Categories Chicken

Yield 4 Servings

Number Of Ingredients 12

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2 15 oz cans cannellini beans
1 bunch fresh basil, leaves picked and chopped
4-5 anchovy fillets, diced (from a 2 oz tin)
1/2 cup kalamata olives, diced
large pinch red pepper flakes
8 oz mixed cherry tomatoes
1 head garlic, separated into individual peeled cloves, each cut in half lengthwise
1 lemon for lemon zest
dried oregano
extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 chicken thighs, skin-on, bone-in

Steps:

1. Prepare the pan. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Drain and rinse the beans and tip into a deep roasting pan (9×13 pyrex works well or bigger). Scatter half the basil leaves anchovies, olives, red pepper flakes, half the garlic and lemon zest over the beans. Season lightly with salt (the olives and anchovies pack a lot of salt) and moderately with pepper and give everything a nice swirl of extra virgin olive oil. Mix well. 2. Season the chicken thighs with salt, pepper, and dried oregano quite generously on both sides. Lie them on top of the bean mixture-they should fit in one snug layer. Scatter your tomatoes and remaining garlic cloves over the chicken, and then push them in and around the individual pieces. Give the top layer of the pan a generous drizzle of oil. (You want crispy skin, don't you?) 3. Roast in the oven. Roast in the oven for 1 1/2 hours. Rotate the pan after 45 minutes for even cooking. (Note: if you notice that the skin isn't browning much by the 45 minute mark, raise your oven temperature to 375ºF.) 4. Serve. After the chicken has roasted for 1 1/2 hours, bring the roasting pan straight to the table. Squeeze some extra lemon juice over the chicken if you so desire and garnish with the remaining basil. Serve with an arugula salad and parmesan shavings.