Recipe

Natural health and lifestyle expert Robyn Griggs Lawrence helped introduce mainstream America to sustainable, healthy lifestyles as editor-in-chief of Natural Home magazine for 11 years and introduced readers to the Japanese art of finding beauty in imperfection in her books The Wabi-Sabi House and Simply Imperfect: Revisiting the Wabi-Sabi House. She wrote one of the first mainstream cannabis books, The Cannabis Kitchen Cookbook and an early academic title, Pot in Pans: A History of Eating Cannabis.

Robyn shares with us her wonderful recipe for flattened chicken thighs, a perfect dinner for a fall evening! There are a few steps to this recipe, but it’s worth it for the crispiest chicken skin ever. The sauce is made using cannabis-infused bone broth, which you’ll need to make ahead. If you’re sharing with a friend, serve the sauce on the side so they can decide how much or how little to consume.

Flatenned Chicken Thighs

INGREDIENTS:

2 lemons, rinsed ¼ cup fresh thyme leaves 1½ tablespoons chopped fresh oregano leaves 1½ tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley 10 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed 1 teaspoon red chili flakes 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, rinsed in cold water 12 fresh sage leaves 3 large garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced Freshly ground salt and pepper 1-2 cups cannabis-infused bone broth (recipe follows) 1-2 teaspoons fresh or dried sage 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon butter Cast iron skillet Parchment paper

The Cannabis Kitchen Cookbook: Feel-Good Edibles, from Tinctures and Cocktails to Entrées and Desserts, by Robyn Griggs Lawrence (Author), Povy Kendal Atchison (Photographer), Jane West (Foreword) from Skyhorse Publishing

DIRECTIONS:

Shave large strips of peel from the lemons. Put strips in a large bowl and combine with thyme, oregano, parsley, garlic, red chili flakes and olive oil.

Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Gently separate skin on each thigh, leaving it attached at one end. Tuck 2 sage leaves and 2 garlic slices between skin and flesh. Gently roll thighs in lemon-spice oil until they’re coated. Cover bowl and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 450 F.

Transfer chicken to a baking sheet and season both sides with salt. Place skin side down in a cast iron skillet and cover with parchment paper. Place something heavy (another cast iron skillet, a brick, hand weights, a large can) on top. Cook over high heat.

When chicken is vigorously sizzling, reduce heat to medium and cook until skin is brown and crisp, about 10 minutes. Don’t move the pan.

While chicken is cooking, cut lemons into thin slices. Chicken is done when the skin cleanly comes away from the bottom of the pan. Remove the weight and transfer thighs skin side up, to a plate. Pour off most of the fat from the skillet.

Place lemon slices in a single layer in the bottom of the skillet. Place thighs, skin side up, on top. Pour remaining oil over chicken.

Place skillet on middle rack of oven for 20 to 30 minutes. Thighs are done when the juices run clear when pierced. Remove skillet from oven and transfer thighs to a plate. Cover with aluminum foil.

Place skillet over medium-low heat. Deglaze the pan with the bone broth, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. Add garlic and ground sage and slowly stir in more broth until sauce is the consistency (and potency!) you want. Season with salt and pepper.

Simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in butter. Return pan to low heat and add thighs. Gently cover with sauce and warm for a few minutes before serving. Alternatively, the sauce can be served on the side.

Easy Cannabis-Infused Bone Broth

1 32-ounce carton organic chicken bone broth 1/8 ounce cannabis flower or trim, chopped roughly or broken up with fingers Coffee grinder or mortar and pestle Crockpot with low setting Cheesecloth or paper coffee filter Fine mesh strainer

Combine bone broth and cannabis in crockpot and set to low.

Simmer very slowly, stirring occasionally, for at least 8 hours. Let cool slightly.

Line fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth or coffee filter. Place over a bowl or large jar and pour bone broth through to catch all solids. Repeat until broth is clear.

Let cool and transfer to a labeled jar with an airtight seal. Will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or the freezer for up to 3 months.