One of Gordon Ramsay's most popular recipes: crispy chicken, flavorful bacon, and cider sauce. A chef-worthy main course that's easy to make at home.
Ingredients
Chicken thighs with lemon and herbs
- 8 chicken thighs with bone (about 900-1000 g)
- Sea salt flakes and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- Olive oil, as needed
- 2-3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- A pinch of red pepper flakes, to taste
- 1 lemon, grated zest
Bacon and apple cider sauce
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1 cm pieces
- ½ cup diced yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bottle (about 350 ml) dry cider
- 2 cups hot chicken stock, divided
- 2 lemons, halved
- 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- Sea salt flakes and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Cooking instructions
Preheat the oven to 220°C.
Prepare the chicken thighs by seasoning them generously with salt and pepper on the skin side. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, drizzle with olive oil, and brown the thighs, skin side down, until caramelized, about 3-5 minutes. Dust the chicken thighs with flour and season generously with salt, pepper, chili flakes, and lemon zest. Turn the thighs and “fry” the flour in the melted chicken fat for 2-3 minutes, remove the chicken thighs and set aside while you prepare the sauce.
For the sauce: add the pancetta to the pan, cooking until crispy and scraping away any caramelized bits. Add the onions and garlic to the pan, cooking until tender and fragrant, about one minute. Cut 1 lemon into wedges and distribute them in the pan along with the fresh herbs, cooking for another minute. Deglaze with the cider and simmer until reduced by half. Add the hot chicken stock and bring to a boil.
Return the chicken thighs to the pan, skin side up, immersed in the sauce. Grate the remaining lemon zest over the chicken and season with salt, pepper, and chili flakes. Bake in the oven until crisp, about 20 minutes or until the juices run clear. Serve directly from the pan, garnished with lemon slices and fresh herbs.
