Senegalese Yassa Chicken with Caramelized Onions

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 lb bone-in chicken thighs
• 4 large onions, thinly sliced
• 3 tbsp neutral oil, divided
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 4 lemons, 3 juiced and 1 cut into wedges
• 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 Scotch bonnet or red chili, left whole
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 1/2 cups rice, for serving
• 1 1/2 tsp fine salt, plus more to taste
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro or parsley

Steps

1. Mix the lemon juice, mustard, garlic, black pepper, 1 tablespoon of the oil, and 1 teaspoon salt into a marinade. Turn the chicken and half the sliced onions through it and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or several hours if you have them.
2. Lift the chicken out and scrape the marinade off, reserving both. Pat the chicken dry, because wet marinated chicken will never brown.
3. Heat the remaining oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat and brown the thighs skin side down for 6 to 7 minutes, then 4 minutes on the other side. Lift them out.
4. Add all the onions, including the marinated ones, to the pot with a pinch of salt and cook over medium-low heat for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes.
5. Cook the onions until they are collapsed, jammy, and deep gold. This slow melt is the entire dish, and hurrying it over high heat gives sharp fried onions instead.
6. Pour in the reserved marinade and the stock, scrape the base of the pot, and bring to a simmer. Add the whole chili.
7. Return the chicken skin side up, cover, and simmer over low heat for 25 minutes, until it reaches 165F (74C) and the onions have thickened into a sauce.
8. Meanwhile cook the rice. Lift out the chili, taste for salt and lemon, and serve the chicken and onions over the rice with the cilantro and lemon wedges.

Allergen note: Contains mustard.

Use the listed quantities as a guide, adjust seasoning to taste, and cook proteins to a safe internal temperature.