Roasted Chicken Thighs with Bread and Herb Dressing

It's that time of year where roasted chicken and stuffing makes such a satisfying meal. This is a play on the roast chicken with bread salad I've made before that was made famous by San Francisco's Zuni Cafe.

Roasted Chicken Thighs with Bread and Herb Dressing

Bread cubes:
About 3 cups of good-quality 1-inch bread cubes (from a crusty loaf of bread, such as sourdough with the crust cut off)
Olive oil, spray or about 1-2 tbsp.

Vegetables:
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 sweet onion, diced
1 celery rib, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tbsp. chopped fresh sage
1 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves

2 tbsp. dried currants
2 tbsp. pine nuts

Chicken:
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 lb. (about 5) skinless bone-in (or boneless) chicken thighs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tbsp. chopped fresh sage
1 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

2-3 cups baby arugula leaves
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar

1. Make the bread cubes: Preheat oven broiler with rack 9 inches below the broiler. Spray bread cubes evenly with olive oil (or toss with 1 or 2 tablespoons) and spread on a baking sheet. Broil until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Turn the bread cubes over and broil for another minute until browned on the other side. Set aside to cool and dry out. Transfer bread cubes to a large bowl.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

3. Cook the vegetables: Heat butter and 1 tbsp. olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. When hot, add onion, celery and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with 1 tbsp. sage and 1 tbsp. thyme and sauté until the vegetables have softened, about 10 minutes. Remove vegetables from pan and add to the large bowl with the bread cubes. Add the currants and pine nuts to the bowl.

4. Cook the chicken: Increase the temperature under the sauté pan to medium-high and add another tablespoon of olive oil. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels, season with salt and pepper and add to the pan. Sprinkle thighs with herbs and cook until brown on one side, about 3-4 minutes. Flip the thighs over and brown the other side, about 3-4 more minutes.

5. Add the chicken broth to the bowl with the bread cubes and vegetables and stir until the liquid is absorbed. Spray a 9 X 13 roasting pan with olive oil. Spread the bread-and-vegetable mixture evenly in the roasting pan and place the chicken thighs on top. Use a spatula to scrape any bits from the sauté pan and spoon on top. Roast until the chicken is cooked through, about 20-25 minutes (chicken should reach internal temperature of 170 F). Remove the chicken thighs, set on a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Stir the bread-and-herb dressing and roast for another 10-12 minutes.

6. Serve the chicken thighs on plate or in shallow bowls on top of the dressing.