Crispy Chicken and Greens with Lemon-Butter Cream Sauce

Today I experienced a craving for savory chicken thighs like I hadn't in years! You know, the kind of chicken thighs with savory, crispy skin and a rich, buttery flavor? Yum! After searching my cookbooks and online sites for inspiration, I created the following adaptation of Chungah's chicken recipe at damn delicious. Here's my version, using coconut cream as a base instead of heavy cream and using my new favorite kitchen appliance, my Instant Pot (see link below).

Ingredients:

9 bone-in chicken thighs with skin

2 c baby spinach, chopped

4 cloves garlic

1 1/2 T smoked paprika

1 t sea salt, or more to taste

1 t cracked pepper, or more to taste

1 t thyme leaves, minced (or use dried thyme) plus extra for garnish

1/2 t rosemary, minced (or use dried)

1 1/2 c chicken broth

juice of 1 lemon

1/2 c coconut cream

1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese

4 T grass fed butter, like Kerry Gold brand, divided

2 T arrowroot powder

3 c white basmati rice, cooked

Directions:

Cook the basmati rice and set aside. Preheat Instant Pot pressure cooker by pressing Saute and Adjust more for hottest saute mode. Season the chicken thighs on both sides with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Once Instant Pot is hot, add 3 T of butter. Once butter is melted, add chicken in batches (3-4 at a time) and sear both sides until golden, about 2-3 minutes each side. Remove chicken thighs to a paper-towel lined plate to drain excess fat. 

Melt the last T of butter in the pot, still in saute mode. Add the minced garlic and cook 2 minutes, until garlic is fragrant. Then, add chicken broth and coconut cream and stir to combine, scraping any brown bits from the bottom of the pot for added flavor. Stir in lemon juice, parmesan and thyme and rosemary. Return chicken thighs to the pot, skin side up. Press Cancel, then press Manual or Poultry, and adjust time to 10 minutes, closing lid and setting the valve to seal. When the time is up, allow Instant Pot to NPR (natural pressure release) for 5 minutes, then manually release any remaining pressure. Using a meat thermometer, check that chicken thigh temperature has reached 170 degrees. If done, remove chicken using tongs and place in a single layer on a broiler pan. Preheat oven to broil high setting ,and when hot, broil appromixmately 3-4 minutes, or until chicken skin is crispy but not blackening. Remove from oven and let chicken rest.

In the Instant Pot, add chopped spinach to the remaining liquid. Press Cancel on the Pot, then press Saute, stirring mixture until the spinach has wilted. Mix arrowroot powder with 3 T cold water. Add to the spinach mixture and stir until sauce has slightly thickened. Press Cancel. Serve lemon spinach sauce over rice, then place chicken on top. Squeeze remaining lemon juice over entire dish and enjoy! Garnish with additional rosemary and thyme sprigs if desired.