FOOD NEWS
To Attain The Crispiest Skin On Chicken Thighs, Cold Searing Is Key
BY JAVARIA AKBAR
You can enjoy the crunchiest of skin on chicken thighs by cold searing them. Simply place the chicken skin-side down in a cold pan before it's heated until almost cooked through.
Searing protein is usually done in a hot skillet with oil or butter, but it doesn't always give a crispy surface and a well-cooked middle, as both elements cook at different rates.
Cold searing works because the fat in the chicken skin gets enough time to render out, or melt down, as the meat beneath it cooks all the way through.
Additionally, you won't need to add extra fat to the pan. The natural fat released by the skin as it renders cooks the chicken when you flip it over for the final few minutes.
To encourage the skin to become extra crispy when cold-searing, you can prick it with a fork or sharp knife to make holes from where the fat can drain out as it renders.