# Lemon-Date Braised Chicken Thighs with Spinach and Duck Fat Potatoes > Golden chicken thighs braise with lemon, soft shallots and dates, making a savory pan sauce with just enough sweetness. Spinach with toasted pine nuts and raisins brings a green, nutty counterpoint, while duck fat potatoes supply the crisp edges that make this a proper Shabbat supper. - URL: https://www.chezjk.com/recipes/braised-chicken-thighs-with-lemon-dates-shallots-spinach-with-pine-nuts-raisins - Author: Jonathan Katzman - Cooked and photographed: 2026-03-06 - Recipe updated: 2026-10-23 - Serves: 4 servings - Tags: gluten-free ![Lemon-Date Braised Chicken Thighs with Spinach and Duck Fat Potatoes](https://www.chezjk.com/api/images?path=9e5d6860-dd86-455e-b57b-e352c363fc57%2F6cde592cc7ea0b51.jpg) ## Braised Chicken Thighs with Lemon, Dates and Shallots A shallow braise tenderizes the thighs while keeping the browned skin above the liquid. Adding dates toward the end lets them soften without dissolving into an overly sweet sauce. ### Ingredients - 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, about 3–3½ pounds - 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste - ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper - 1 tablespoon ghee - 6 medium shallots, peeled and halved lengthwise, root ends trimmed but intact - 3 cloves garlic, lightly crushed - 1 lemon, scrubbed, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise, seeds removed - 1 cup unsalted gluten-free chicken stock, plus more as needed - 6 Medjool dates, pitted and halved - ¼ cup roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley ### Instructions 1. Pat the chicken thoroughly dry and season with salt and pepper. Let stand while preparing the remaining ingredients. 2. Heat the ghee in a wide, heavy braising pan over medium heat. Working in batches, place the thighs skin-side down and cook for 8–10 minutes, until deeply golden and readily released from the pan. Turn and cook for 2 minutes, then transfer to a plate. 3. Pour off excess rendered fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pan. Add the shallots cut-side down and cook over medium heat for 3–4 minutes, until lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. 4. Add the stock and scrape up the browned bits. Arrange the lemon slices among the shallots, then return the chicken skin-side up with its juices. The liquid should reach roughly one-third to halfway up the thighs, not cover the skin. 5. Bring to a gentle simmer, partially cover and cook over low heat for 25 minutes. Add the dates around the chicken and continue cooking for 10–20 minutes, until the meat is very tender and registers 175–185°F away from the bone. Add a splash of stock if the pan becomes dry. 6. Transfer the chicken to a warm platter. If needed, simmer the sauce uncovered for 3–5 minutes until glossy and lightly spoon-coating. Taste before adding more salt; the lemon should balance the dates without making the sauce sharply sour. 7. Return the chicken to the sauce and scatter with parsley just before serving. Keep the sauce around rather than over the skin. ### Notes - Use thin-skinned lemons and remove any especially thick pieces of white pith to keep the braise from becoming bitter. - For crisper skin, transfer the cooked thighs to a broiler-safe tray and broil briefly, watching constantly, while reducing the sauce. ## Spinach with Pine Nuts and Raisins Brief cooking keeps the spinach lush rather than muddy. Toasted pine nuts add crunch, while plumped raisins echo the dates in the chicken without needing extra sweetener. ### Ingredients - 1½ pounds mature spinach, tough stems removed, washed thoroughly and drained - ¼ cup pine nuts - ¼ cup raisins - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil - 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced - 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste - ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste - to taste freshly ground black pepper ### Instructions 1. Cover the raisins with hot water and soak for 10 minutes, then drain. 2. Toast the pine nuts in a dry, wide skillet over medium-low heat for 2–4 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden. Transfer immediately to a bowl. 3. Add the olive oil and garlic to the skillet over medium-low heat. Cook for 30–60 seconds, just until fragrant without browning. 4. Increase the heat to medium and add the spinach in batches, turning with tongs as it wilts. Add the salt and cook for 3–5 minutes, until the leaves are tender and the stems retain a little bite. 5. If liquid collects, briefly raise the heat and cook uncovered until the spinach is moist but not sitting in water. Fold in the raisins, lemon juice and most of the pine nuts. 6. Taste for salt, pepper and acidity. Transfer to a serving dish and scatter the remaining pine nuts over the top. ### Notes - If using baby spinach, shorten the cooking time and let excess moisture evaporate before adding the raisins. ## Duck Fat Roasted Potatoes Parboiling creates tender centers and roughened surfaces that catch the duck fat. A hot, uncrowded sheet pan gives the skin-on chunks a deep golden crust. ### Ingredients - 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1½–2-inch chunks - 3 tablespoons duck fat - 1 tablespoon kosher salt for the boiling water - ¾ teaspoon kosher salt for roasting, plus more to taste - ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ### Instructions 1. Heat the oven to 425°F with a heavy rimmed sheet pan inside. 2. Place the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with cold water by 1 inch and add the tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 8–10 minutes, until the outsides are tender but the centers still offer resistance. 3. Drain well and let steam-dry for 3–5 minutes. Shake the potatoes gently in the colander to roughen their cut surfaces without breaking them apart. 4. Carefully add the duck fat to the hot sheet pan and let it melt. Add the potatoes, sprinkle with the roasting salt and turn to coat. Arrange with a cut face down and space between the pieces. 5. Roast for 40–50 minutes, turning after about 25 minutes, until deeply golden on several sides and completely tender inside. 6. Season with pepper and additional salt if needed. Serve promptly, leaving uncovered so the crust stays crisp. ### Notes - Use two sheet pans if necessary; crowded potatoes steam instead of roasting. ## Overall Timing / Workflow The stovetop braise frees the oven for the potatoes. The spinach cooks at the end so it stays green and the pine nuts remain crisp. ### Instructions 1. 0:00 — Heat the oven to 425°F with the potato sheet pan inside. Put the cut potatoes in salted water and begin heating. Pat dry and season the chicken. 2. 0:10 — Start browning the chicken. Drain and steam-dry the parboiled potatoes, then coat with hot duck fat and put them in the oven. 3. 0:25 — Brown the shallots, add the braising ingredients and settle the chicken into its gentle simmer. 4. 0:35 — Wash and drain the spinach, soak the raisins, toast the pine nuts and chop the parsley. Turn the potatoes once their undersides are golden. 5. 0:50 — Add the dates to the chicken. Check the potatoes and continue roasting until crisp. 6. 1:00 — Check the chicken for tenderness and temperature. Finish the spinach while the chicken sauce reduces. 7. 1:10–1:15 — Adjust seasoning, finish the chicken with parsley and serve everything hot. If the potatoes need longer, the chicken can wait off heat in its warm sauce. ## Plating Keeping the potatoes away from the braising liquid preserves their crispness. Large shallot pieces and dates make the chicken look generous without elaborate garnish. ### Instructions 1. Place two chicken thighs on each warm plate with a few shallot halves, dates and lemon slices. 2. Spoon a modest amount of braising liquid around the chicken and scatter parsley over it. 3. Add a mound of spinach alongside and finish with the reserved pine nuts. 4. Arrange the potatoes on the dry portion of the plate, away from pooled sauce. Pass extra braising liquid at the table. ## Leftover Path Chicken reheats gently in its sauce, while potatoes need dry heat to recover their crust. Keeping the components separate gives each the right treatment. ### Instructions 1. Refrigerate the chicken with its braising liquid, the spinach and the potatoes in separate shallow containers within 2 hours. Use within 3–4 days. 2. Reheat chicken covered in a skillet with its sauce and a splash of water over low heat until it reaches 165°F. 3. Re-crisp potatoes on a preheated sheet pan in a 425°F oven for 15–20 minutes, turning once. 4. Warm spinach briefly in a small skillet until hot throughout, then refresh with a little lemon juice. 5. For another meal, pull the chicken from the bones and warm it with chopped dates, shallots and sauce; serve alongside the reheated spinach and crushed crispy potatoes. --- From ChezJK (https://www.chezjk.com), Jonathan Katzman's public home-cooking archive: every meal he has photographed, written up as a recipe you can cook.