Garlicky Chicken With Lemon-Anchovy Sauce from MELISSA CLARK

I loooooove this recipe. (And I loooove Melissa Clark.) Don't let the anchovies put you off. They add a divine savory taste. 

SEE THE VIDEO BELOW. 

INGREDIENTS
1 ¼ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (4 to 5 thighs)
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
5 anchovy fillets
2 tablespoons drained capers, patted dry
1 large pinch chile flakes
1 lemon, halved
Fresh chopped parsley, for serving 

1 loaf crusty Italian bread (it's also nice over rice or orzo) 

Step 1
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Season the chicken thighs with salt and
pepper and let rest while you prepare the anchovy-garlic oil. Mince
one of the garlic cloves and set it aside for later. In a large, ovenproof
skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the
5 smashed whole garlic cloves, the anchovies, capers and chile. Let
cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up the anchovies, until the
garlic browns around the edges and the anchovies dissolve, 3 to 5
minutes.
Step 2
Add the chicken thighs and cook until nicely browned on one side, 5 to
7 minutes. Flip the thighs, place the pan in the oven and cook another
5 to 10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
Step 3
When chicken is done, transfer thighs to a plate (be careful, as the pan
handle will be hot). Place skillet back on the heat and add minced
garlic and the juice of one lemon half. Cook for about 30 seconds,
scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Return chicken
to the pan and cook it in the sauce for another 15 to 30 seconds.
Step 4
Transfer everything to a serving platter. Squeeze the remaining lemon
half over the chicken and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve. 

Looks very Mediterranean.

It does sound delicious.  How do you buy the anchovies?   Fresh, or can you get them canned?

In a tin. Near the sardines in the supermarket. And the tuna. 

Angela, you don't have anchovies in the kitchen already? I love anchovies! 

I find Melissa Clark's recipes both tasty and relatively easy.  She is often my go to.

She has a salmon recipe that uses minced anchovies for butter sauce. I then realized that that was that lovely taste that I would find in restaurants with fish dishes.  Her French yogurt almond cake is great. I serve it with whipped creme fraiche. Actually I think she attributes the recipe to someone else. Also like her middle eastern herb and garlic chicken. Last winter I made coriander seed chicken with caramelized brussel sprouts a number of times. 

gerryl said:

I find Melissa Clark's recipes both tasty and relatively easy.  She is often my go to.

I like her food writing, too. She had a recipe most Wednesday's in the NYT. 

Mr. T,  What else do you use anchovies in?

krugle said:

Mr. T,  In what else do you use anchovies?

• salads
• salad dressings
• my cheesy (pecorino not bleu), lemony, garlicky wing dip (I'll post the recipe) 
• pizza
• sauces
• marinades for chicken 

Speaking of anchovies, sometimes I'll take a Ritz cracker, spread some cream cheese on it and put an anchovy on top. Salty deliciousness! You can buy rolled anchovies and they're good on canapes. 

he_Soulful_Mr_T said:

In a tin. Near the sardines in the supermarket. And the tuna. 

Angela, you don't have anchovies in the kitchen already? I love anchovies! 

No, I don't.  I've actually never cooked with them.  I'm surprised myself.  I got some from TJs and am going to try that recipe, probably tomorrow.  Thanks!

angelak said:

he_Soulful_Mr_T said:

In a tin. Near the sardines in the supermarket. And the tuna. 

Angela, you don't have anchovies in the kitchen already? I love anchovies! 

No, I don't.  I've actually never cooked with them.  I'm surprised myself.  I got some from TJs and am going to try that recipe, probably tomorrow.  Thanks!

Please let us/me know how it turns out. (Did you watch the video? I adore Melissa Clark.)

Yes, the video was very well done.  I decided yesterday to try that sauce with brussels sprouts.  I was going to roast some, but decided to try steaming them to soften, then sauted in the anchovy/garlic sauce.  They came out great!

angelak said:

Yes, the video was very well done.  I decided yesterday to try that sauce with brussels sprouts.  I was going to roast some, but decided to try steaming them to soften, then sauted in the anchovy/garlic sauce.  They came out great!

Yummy. Thanks for sharing. 

Mr. T.  Made the recipe.  Very good but I put too much lemon, so next time I'd put less.  I added water to make more of a sauce.  Thanks for this.

krugle said:

Mr. T.  Made the recipe.  Very good but I put too much lemon, so next time I'd put less.  I added water to make more of a sauce.  Thanks for this.

Yay!

The_Soulful_Mr_T said:

krugle said:

Mr. T,  In what else do you use anchovies?

• salads
• salad dressings
• my cheesy (pecorino not bleu), lemony, garlicky wing dip (I'll post the recipe) 
• pizza
• sauces
• marinades for chicken 

Just posted the dip recipe.

I buy the pureed sardines in a tube - much easier to deal with than the can especially is you like sardines but are somewhat grossed out by them (like me).

eliz said:

I buy the pureed sardines in a tube - much easier to deal with than the can especially is you like sardines but are somewhat grossed out by them (like me).

sardines does not equal anchovies. two different foods.

Anchovy paste in a tube is available, too.  

I had been afraid of anchovies my whole life, until I realized that when you cook with them, the added taste has nothing to do with gross fishiness.

It's all about the umami.

drummerboy said:

I had been afraid of anchovies my whole life, until I realized that when you cook with them, the added taste has nothing to do with gross fishiness.


It's all about the umami.

Yeah, baby. (I also happen to love them right out of the tin.)

I've made this dish several times! One of my faves!!