Garlic Chicken Thighs with Creamed Spinach

Ingredients

• 🍗Chicken Thigh (boneless), boneless, skinless4 thigh
• 🧂Kosher Salt, divided1 tsp
• 🧂Black Pepper (ground), divided1 tsp
• 🫒Extra Virgin Olive Oil1 tbsp
• 🧈Unsalted Butter, divided2 tbsp
• 🧄Garlic, minced4 clove
• 🥛Heavy Cream1 cup
• 💧Water, for loosening the sauce2 tbsp
• 🥬Baby Spinach, packed5 cup

Contains Dairy, Garlic. AI-generated, checked against common allergens; always check labels.

Method

1. 1

   Season the chicken

   Pat the Chicken Thighs dry with paper towel, then rub them all over with half the Kosher Salt and half the Black Pepper on a chopping board so the surface feels tacky and dry, not wet. If the thighs are slippery, blot them again; dryness is what helps them brown instead of steaming.

   5 min
2. 2

   Mince the garlic

   Peel and mince the Garlic Cloves on the chopping board until they are very fine and evenly sized, about the texture of coarse sand, so they melt into the sauce instead of staying in hard little pieces. If any pieces are chunky, run the knife through them again; uneven bits can scorch before the rest of the sauce is ready.

   3 min
3. 3

   Sear the chicken

   Set a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the Extra Virgin Olive Oil and one tablespoon of the Unsalted Butter, swirling until the butter foams and the fat shimmers across the base. Lay in the Chicken Thighs smooth-side down and leave them alone for about 5 minutes until the underside is deep golden and they release cleanly when you nudge them; if they stick, give them another minute and do not force the turn.

   7 min
4. 4

   Flip and finish

   Turn the Chicken Thighs with tongs and cook them in the same skillet over medium-high heat for about 4 minutes, then lower the heat if the butter darkens too fast and the edges start to smoke. They should be browned on the second side and still a little underdone in the centre, because they will finish in the sauce without drying out.

   4 min
5. 5

   Soften the garlic

   Add the minced Garlic Cloves to the skillet and stir them through the hot fat for about 45 seconds, scraping the browned bits from the base as you go so the garlic turns fragrant and pale gold rather than dark brown. If it starts to brown too quickly, lower the heat immediately and keep it moving with the spoon.

   1 min
6. 6

   Build the cream sauce

   Pour the Heavy Cream and Water into the skillet, stirring and scraping with the wooden spoon over medium heat for about 2 minutes until the sauce loosens the browned bits and turns glossy with tiny bubbles around the edges. If it looks split or greasy, whisk briskly and drop the heat; a gentle simmer keeps it smooth.

   2 min
7. 7

   Wilt the spinach

   Add the Baby Spinach in handfuls and fold it through the sauce over medium heat for about 2 minutes, letting each addition slump before the next goes in so it cooks evenly. The leaves should collapse into glossy ribbons and the sauce should turn a soft green; if the skillet looks crowded, stir steadily and wait a few seconds between handfuls.

   2 min
8. 8

   Finish and season

   Return the Chicken Thighs and any juices to the skillet, nestling them into the spinach so they are partly coated, then simmer over medium-low heat for about 4 minutes until the chicken feels firm at the edges and the sauce thickens enough to cling. Stir in the remaining Kosher Salt and Black Pepper near the end so the sauce tastes bright and savoury, and if it gets too thick, loosen it with another splash of Water.

   4 min

Nutrition per serving