A few months ago, I went on a trip to Atlanta - which is quite a regular occurrence for me - but one of my favourite grocery shops to visit multiple times, is Trader Joe's. It's a shop I wish we had over here, including the staff, as its just a great experience. It's set up is Californian, surfer-themed, where their staff wear Hawaiian shirts and ring bells, shouting things across the shop when something happens with customer service.
The second I'm in, I beeline for the sample coffee so I can sample any new roasts or just taste their great coffee, and any sample foods they're promoting. The wall of coffee they have on offer is a must to stock up on and becomes a regular gift to my mum (don't get me wrong, you can get excellent coffee over here too, but it's part of the experience). This is certainly reading like a brand deal, but trust me, it's not (I wish!). They also have a great food selection. What's refreshing - certainly in the States - is to turn a pack of food over, look at the ingredients list, and see exactly the ingredients you would expect to find, rather than a list of foreign substances (granted, there are still some exceptions). With this, they can have some interesting and delicious concoctions, especially in the likes of their snacks.
This time around, I picked up a new bbq rub of coffee and garlic and I've been testing it with all sorts. One being this recipe. It's such a simple and delicious quick meal to pair with anything you fancy like some nice roasted sweet potatoes, but with the option to create anything-but-boring leftover sandwiches or just make it straight into the ideal summer sandwich.
Cover with a cartouche and let cook for 25-30 minutes.
Those are going to be some delicious juices!
Mix in all the butter, herbs and garlic and enjoy the moist, flavourful chicken.
Coffee & Garlic Chicken
Serves: 2 hefty sandwiches
Time: 40 mins.
Ingredients
4 skin-on and bone-in chicken thighs
4-5 tbsp. of Trader Joe's coffee & garlic bbq rub (if you don't have access to this, try mixing together 1tbsp. of brown sugar, 1tbsp. of coffee granules, 1tbsp. of garlic powder, 1 tsp. of salt, 1tsp. of smoked paprika, for each thigh)
1 tbsp. of olive oil
2 large garlic cloves - smashed
Lemon juice of quarter lemon
A couple of sprigs of rosemary - chopped
2 tbsp. of butter
Salt & pepper to taste
Season the chicken generously - skin-side - with the spice mix.
Heat the olive oil in a pan on medium heat and place the chicken in, skin-side down, frying for a minute or two. Then, flip the thighs over cooking for a further 5 minutes.
Next add 1 tablespoon of butter and the garlic to the pan, cooking for a few minutes until fragrant.
Flip the chicken back over so it's skin-side down, rest the garlic on top of the chicken so it doesn't burn and place a cartouche of greaseproof/parchment paper, on the chicken, covering the surface. This will keep the juices in and stop the butter from forming a skin. Whilst the chicken is cooking, feel free to add some weight such as cans or another pan to get an extra crispy skin. Cook on a medium-low heat for 25-30 minutes until the chicken is cooked and juices run clear. In the last 5-10 minutes, turn the chicken over, to get some direct heat and flavour on the underside.
Next, remove the thighs to a plate and pull the chicken off the bone, making sure to keep all the flavourful, crispy skin.
Keep the Juices in the pan and turn the heat to low. Add in the remaining butter, rosemary and lemon and add salt and pepper to taste.
Add the pulled chicken to the pan and warm through. Serve as desired!