Pan Roasted Chicken and Asparagus with Spicy Sesame Lemon Tahini Sauce

 

This dish is a blend of several news articles and a blog entry.

Ingredients

4 chicken thighs with bones and skin.

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon smoked paprika
3 inch bundle asparagus, woody ends broken off
5 baby bella mushrooms, quartered

salt and pepper

Sauce Ingredients

Juice of one lemon
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 Tablespoon Roasted Sesame oil

2 rounded Tablespoons Tahini paste

1 Tablespoon unsalted chicken broth

1 large splash Sriracha or preferred hot sauce (or to taste)
salt

Method

Use a whisk, stick blender, a regular blender, or a food processor to turn the sauce ingredients into smooth, silky sauce. Add additional chicken broth if required. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Set aside.

Trim the excess skin and fat from the thighs, leaving only the skin on one side of the thighs.

Liberally season the thighs on both sides with salt, pepper, the cumin and the paprika.

Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet to just below the smoke point. Place the thighs skin side down in the center of the skillet. Do not move the thighs until the skin has crisped and turned mahogany. Turn the thighs over and brown the other side. Remove the chicken to a separate plate and tent with foil.

Pour most of the fat from the skillet, but do not wipe.

Add the asparagus and mushrooms to the skillet and cook two minutes.

Add the tahini sauce to the asparagus and mushrooms. Carefully nestle the thighs skin side up in the sauce and cook until the sauce boils to finish cooking the chicken and vegetables.

Test the taste and add salt and pepper as needed.

 Garnish with the chopped mint and serve.