Recipes Crisp Chicken Thighs with Peas and Carrots 4.0 (5,822) Add your rating & review Hugh Acheson serves his crispy pan-fried chicken with a quick and totally delicious hot-sauce butter on a bright, fun salad of peas and carrots. Slideshow: More Chicken Thigh Recipes By Hugh Acheson Hugh Acheson Instagram Hugh Acheson is the Canadian-born chef and restaurateur of Empire State South in Atlanta and Five & Ten in Athens, Georgia. He is a judge on the reality cooking competition series Top Chef and an Iron Chef on Iron Chef Canada. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on April 30, 2014 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: © John Kernick Total Time: 1 hrs Yield: 4 Ingredients Four 1/2-pound, bone-in chicken thighs with skin 1 cup buttermilk 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning Pinch of cayenne Pinch of dry mustard powder 1/2 cup vegetable shortening 1 cup frozen peas 3/4 pound bunch carrots with tops, tops reserved and carrots thinly sliced on the bias 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 cup small mint leaves 2 tablespoons cider vinegar 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 2 tablespoons Louisiana-style hot sauce, such as Tabasco Directions In a sturdy resealable plastic bag, combine the chicken and buttermilk and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Preheat the oven to 425°. Place the flour in a large bowl. In a small bowl, stir the 1 teaspoon of salt with the cayenne and mustard powder. Remove the chicken from the marinade, letting the excess drip off, and transfer the chicken to a large plate. Season the chicken all over with the salt mixture. Set a rack over a baking sheet. In a large cast-iron skillet, heat the shortening until it shimmers. Dredge the chicken in the flour, then fry over moderately high heat, turning, until deep golden, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer the chicken to the rack and bake for about 25 minutes, until crispy and the juices run clear when a thigh is pierced. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan of boiling water, blanch the peas for 1 minute. Drain and cool under cold water. Drain well and transfer to a medium bowl. Add the carrots, lemon juice, olive oil and mint. Chop enough carrot tops to make 1/3 cup and add to the bowl. Season with salt and toss to coat. In the saucepan, bring the vinegar to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the butter, one cube at a time, until incorporated. Whisk in the hot sauce and remove from the heat. Transfer the vegetables to a platter, top with the chicken and serve the buttery hot sauce on the side. Suggested Pairing Minerally Sauvignon Blanc. Rate it Print