A Calculated Whisk

Creative paleo and gluten-free recipes

  • Home
  • About Me
    • Photography Portfolio
  • Cookbook
  • Recipe Index
  • Paleo
    • Paleo Eating
    • A Paleo Pantry
  • Blogging

Crispy Chicken with Fig and Shallot Compote

June 19, 2015 By Becky 22 Comments

Crispy Chicken with Fig and Shallot Compote | acalculatedwhisk.com A simple but gourmet paleo dinner, perfect for a Whole30 or anytime. @beckywink
So, there may or may not be a poem at the end of this post, entitled “Ode to Figs” and written in the style of Pablo Neruda. (Have you read his poem “Ode to the Artichoke”? I’m not very into poetry but I’m very into artichokes–it’s one of the few poems I truly appreciate. Here it is in Spanish and English.) Figs are special, so I’m sharing a special but easy recipe that showcases them in all their glory. Plus, my ridiculous poem.
Crispy Chicken with Fig and Shallot Compote | acalculatedwhisk.com A simple but gourmet paleo dinner, perfect for a Whole30 or anytime. @beckywink
I got so excited when I discovered fresh figs at the market earlier this week. It seems that figs have a short season in early summer and a longer season in the fall, so if you can’t find them now, hopefully you’ll bookmark this post for later.

Crispy Chicken with Fig and Shallot Compote | acalculatedwhisk.com A simple but gourmet paleo dinner, perfect for a Whole30 or anytime. @beckywink
This is such an easy recipe, beginning with the blank but irresistible slate of crispy chicken thighs (previously seen here)ย and ending with the simplest compote made of shallots, figs, and lemon. If you don’t count olive oil, salt, and pepper, the recipe has only four ingredients! Despite the short ingredients list, it tastes gourmet and complex. Beyond the naturally delectable flavors of figs, shallots, and lemon zest and juice, the big secret to the compote is that it’s cooked in the pan drippings from the chicken. Trust me, you’re going to love it!
crispy chicken with fig and shallot compote lemon
Scroll down if you’d like to see my poem (or scroll even further if you’d rather skip to the recipe!).
Crispy Chicken with Fig and Shallot Compote | acalculatedwhisk.com A simple but gourmet paleo dinner, perfect for a Whole30 or anytime. @beckywink
Ode to Figs
Figs
a collection
of jewels
wrapped in royal blue robes
Unassuming
In the shape
of giant raindrops
they wait
Velvet skin
concealing
the blush of pink
inside
Dark forms
on a tree
Heavy on its branches
through rain
and shine
If you didn’t know
what figs were hiding
would you ever
take a bite?
What a lovely shock
it must have been
for that first
intrepid eater
who took that seminal bite
into paradise
when she took
a chance on a fig!
Crispy Chicken with Fig and Shallot Compote | acalculatedwhisk.com A simple but gourmet paleo dinner, perfect for a Whole30 or anytime. @beckywink
So, what do you think? Should I pursue a career as a produce poet?
I think I’ll stick with recipes for now.

Crispy Chicken with Fig and Shallot Compote
Yield: 4-6 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3 pounds)
1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
2 teaspoons ghee or extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon (preferably organic)
3 shallots, halved and thinly sliced
1 pint figs, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 450. Season the chicken with the sea salt on both sides. Heat a very large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the ghee or oil, swirl to coat the bottom of the pan, and add the chicken thighs, skin side down. Season the meaty side with pepper. Cook for about ten minutes, until the chicken skin is deep golden brown. Turn off the heat, turn the chicken pieces over, and season the skin side with pepper. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast for 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.

While the chicken is roasting, use a microplane or peeler to remove the lemon zest in thin strips. Then, juice the lemon until you have about two tablespoons of juice.

When the chicken is done roasting, carefully remove the skillet from the oven, transfer the thighs to a plate, and cover them loosely with foil. Pour off all but a tablespoon of fat from the skillet, trying not to lose too many browned bits. Set the pan over medium high heat and add the shallots and half the lemon zest, reserving the remainder for serving. Cook, scraping the bottom of the pan with a spatula, for about 5 minutes, until the shallots have softened. Reduce the heat to medium and add the figs. Cook, stirring frequently, until the figs are heated through, 2-3 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Taste the compote and add more salt, pepper, and lemon juice if desired.

Serve the chicken hot with the warm compote spooned on top. Garnish with lemon zest and/or lemon wedges.

Crispy Chicken with Fig and Shallot Compote | acalculatedwhisk.com A simple but gourmet paleo dinner, perfect for a Whole30 or anytime. @beckywink
Crispy Chicken with Fig and Shallot Compote | acalculatedwhisk.com A simple but gourmet paleo dinner, perfect for a Whole30 or anytime. @beckywink

Filed Under: dinner, gluten free, paleo, recipe, whole30 Tagged With: chicken, chicken thighs, figs, five ingredients or less, grain free, primal, shallots, summer

« 30 Easy Paleo Dinners (in 30 minutes or less!)
Paleo Breakfast Casserole with Bacon, Sausage, Sweet Potato, & Kale »

Comments

  1. Natalie Drummond says

    June 4, 2017 at 11:53 am

    I am working my way through all your recipes, so keep them coming! I am breastfeeding my little baby (4 months old) who has an allergy to gluten and dairy in my diet. Your website has been a savior to our kitchen! I have tried 6 of your recipes so far, and loved every one of them!

    Quick question for this one… making it this week. What are some sides your recommend to go with it?

    Reply
    • Becky says

      June 4, 2017 at 12:56 pm

      Thank you so much, Natalie! I’m thrilled you’ve been enjoying the recipes. I love mashed potatoes or some other kind of mash with crispy chicken. You could do the rutabaga mash from this recipe: http://acalculatedwhisk.com/spicy-shrimp-and-kale-with-creamy/ or get a little fancier with this one: http://acalculatedwhisk.com/mashed-rutabaga-squash-with-roasted/. If you have my cookbook Paleo Planet, this would also go really well with Colcannon (page 208), Ginger-Lime Parsnip Puree (page 214), or Curried Roasted Squash and Brussels Sprouts (page 221). If you can’t do ghee you can sub olive or avocado oil in recipes that call for it. Let me know what you end up trying! ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  2. Joy says

    August 4, 2016 at 9:19 pm

    Hi! So excited to try this! Do u think it would work w boneless skinless thighs? If so, how would I alter the cooking? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Becky says

      August 4, 2016 at 10:31 pm

      Hi Joy! Well, the chicken won’t be crispy without the skin–I highly recommend bone-in, skin-on thighs for this dish! If you want to try it with boneless, skinless thighs they’ll cook more quickly. You could do it entirely on the stovetop and they’d probably be done in 15 minutes or so–just cut one open or use a meat thermometer to check.

      Reply
      • Joy says

        August 5, 2016 at 3:40 am

        Thanks you! I’m going to try it this time with the boneless skinless since that’s what I have, but next time I’ll do it the “real” way! So excited to try and cook with figs! I love them but haven’t tried using them myself!

        Reply
        • Becky says

          August 5, 2016 at 9:50 am

          Sounds good! Let me know what you think ๐Ÿ™‚

          Reply
  3. Byron Thomas says

    June 26, 2015 at 9:49 pm

    This is the third recipe using figs that I've seen today. I'm going to have to break down and try them. Can you believe I've never tried figs? Looks delicious!

    Reply
    • Rebecca Winkler says

      June 26, 2015 at 10:17 pm

      Byron, you are going to LOVE them! I haven't seen many other fig recipes around lately–I'm going to have to do some searching!

      Reply
  4. Donna M says

    June 26, 2015 at 9:32 pm

    I LOVE your poem – and I totally share your love for figs ๐Ÿ™‚ This dish sounds fantastic btw – although anything with figs thrown in gets a tick of approval in my book ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Rebecca Winkler says

      June 26, 2015 at 10:16 pm

      Thank you, Donna! I agree–figs are an automatic win.

      Reply
  5. Rachel @ Simple Seasonal says

    June 26, 2015 at 8:29 pm

    Compote + figs sounds like a perfect pair! I'm also impressed by your poetic abilities. What a great use of imagery!

    Reply
    • Rebecca Winkler says

      June 26, 2015 at 10:16 pm

      Thanks so much, Rachel! Maybe I will include poems in my blog posts more often ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  6. Chi Tran says

    June 26, 2015 at 3:47 pm

    This looks absolutely amazing! I love cooking with fug ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Rebecca Winkler says

      June 26, 2015 at 7:54 pm

      Thank you, Chi!

      Reply
  7. Whitney says

    June 26, 2015 at 1:16 pm

    Ok, I am going to have to start cooking with figs. This looks too good!

    Reply
    • Rebecca Winkler says

      June 26, 2015 at 1:36 pm

      Thanks, Whitney! I know it can be hard to anything with fresh figs besides gobble them up as-is, but I love them in this compote. I still ate a few plain while I was making the recipe! ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  8. Farha-Faskichen says

    June 22, 2015 at 1:39 pm

    Looks amazing and delicous.. perfect for summer

    Reply
    • Rebecca Winkler says

      June 22, 2015 at 2:31 pm

      Thank you so much! ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  9. Cindy Gordon says

    June 21, 2015 at 7:17 pm

    This looks great and its great to connect with another gluten free blogger! I'd love for you to share any of your gfree recipes at our weekly Gluten Free Fridays recipe party! All recipes that are linked up are pinned and tweeted! We've been sharing at this party for over 2 years ๐Ÿ™‚ Hope to see you soon!

    Reply
    • Rebecca Winkler says

      June 21, 2015 at 7:36 pm

      Thanks so much, Cindy! I will definitely check it out ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  10. Janie Penn says

    June 19, 2015 at 10:34 pm

    This was so delicious … I loved the fig compote!! Also, I like the poem … Move over, Mr. P. Neruda!

    Reply
    • Rebecca Winkler says

      June 19, 2015 at 10:35 pm

      Thank you!! So glad you enjoyed it ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Hi, I’m Becky!

Welcome to A Calculated Whisk, where I share creative paleo and gluten-free recipes. Learn more about me here.

Connect with ACW on social media:

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Looking for something?

Subscribe via email and get a free e-book!

Instant Pot Recipes

Instant Pot Balsamic Short Ribs

Instant Pot Tomato Sauce (made with fresh tomatoes)

Instant Pot Short Rib Ragu

Instant Pot Short Rib Ragu

Instant Pot Bacon and Sweet Potato Chili

In a hurry? Try these 30-minute recipes:

Paleo Chicken Piccata with Asparagus

Paleo Chicken Piccata with Asparagus

Blistered Okra with Garlic and Cumin #30MinuteMondays

Caramelized Salmon with Basil Chile Oil and Quick-Pickled Vegetables (Paleo, Gluten free)

Caramelized Salmon with Basil Chile Oil and Pickled Vegetables #30MinuteMondays

Curry Butter Shrimp (Paleo, Gluten free)

Curry Butter Shrimp

my healthy aperture gallery
rodelle brand ambassador

Privacy Policy

All text and photographs (c) Rebecca Winkler 2013-2020 unless otherwise noted.

Copyright 2013-2020 Rebecca Winkler ยท Foodie Pro Theme by Shay Bocks ยท Genesis Framework ยท Powered by Wordpress