Why did my chicken stick to the pan? (Stainless/skin-on thighs)

[LDO]

I made a French recipe that calls for cooking chicken thighs skin down in a little vegetable oil. Cook for about three minutes to get the skin crispy, then turn over and cook for another three minutes. The skin did not get crispy and half of the thighs left their skin stuck to the skillet. I did not preheat the skillet. Could that be the problem? It was my first time using stainless. I bought the skillet for this recipe. 
 

All was not lost. It was still a good meal. After taking the chicken out of the skillet, the fond, garlic and shallots, chicken broth, a little red wine vinegar,  and dry white wine are used to start a sauce. Then the thighs are put back in the pan and it goes in the oven for 40 minutes. I’m trying it again this weekend. Hoping to get closer to the results on the cooking show. 
 

Forgot to add: the reason for a stainless skillet is to get the fond off the bottom. On a non-stick pan…it doesn’t stick, so no fond for starting a sauce or gravy. 

Edited 14 hours ago by LDO
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[jaymcminn]

You definitely need to preheat the pan, especially with stainless where the only nonstick properties come from whatever fat is being added to cook. Adding the thighs to a preheated pan will crisp up the skin and allow the chicken to "release" from the pan a lot easier. It's a bit less forgiving than cooking with nonstick cookware or seasoned cast iron. Make sure to heat the pan first, then add oil and let that get to temperature before adding your meat. 

[TonyK]

38 minutes ago, jaymcminn said:

Make sure to heat the pan first, then add oil and let that get to temperature before adding your meat.

Isn't that a little dangerous adding oil to a hot pan? If I'm using oil or butter, I put it in and then slowly heat the pan. Then I add whatever I'm cooking when it's all hot.

[Ace-Garageguy]

I prefer seasoned cast-iron to stainless or non-stick for frying, warming the pan first, then adding oil and bringing it up to temperature prior to introducing the meat.

Done correctly, meat should release pretty well.

If it's cooked sufficiently, the bond formed between the meat and the pan should break easily.

Of course, the additional variables and technique required are the reason people went so hard for non-stick coatings...and ease of cleanup.

But if you research the leaching of chemicals into food from non-sticks, you probably won't want to use them.

[Rodent]

Cold from the refrigerator meat into a hot pan is another reason for stickage. Let the meat warm up on the counter for a while before throwing it in.

[stitchdup]

if you want consistent crispy skin on your chicken, do what the pros do and cheat. they cook as normal then blast with a blow torch unless cooking in the oven

[espo]

3 hours ago, LDO said:

I made a French recipe that calls for cooking chicken thighs skin down in a little vegetable oil. Cook for about three minutes to get the skin crispy, then turn over and cook for another three minutes. The skin did not get crispy and half of the thighs left their skin stuck to the skillet. I did not preheat the skillet. Could that be the problem? It was my first time using stainless. I bought the skillet for this recipe. 
 

All was not lost. It was still a good meal. After taking the chicken out of the skillet, the fond, garlic and shallots, chicken broth, a little red wine vinegar,  and dry white wine are used to start a sauce. Then the thighs are put back in the pan and it goes in the oven for 40 minutes. I’m trying it again this weekend. Hoping to get closer to the results on the cooking show. 
 

Forgot to add: the reason for a stainless skillet is to get the fond off the bottom. On a non-stick pan…it doesn’t stick, so no fond for starting a sauce or gravy. 

So what time is dinner? I can bring the wine. 

[LDO]

Gentlemen-

  Thank you for the advice. I also went back and watched the video again and I see that missed a couple of important details. I’m at the beginning of trying it again. It’s already looking better. I’ll post a pic when it’s done.

 

[LDO]

This is after eight minutes cooking skin-down. I only cooked for three minutes last time, with cold chicken and an unheated pan. I turned it over and cooked for three minutes, then started the sauce. It’s now in the oven. Last week I used 8 thighs. This time I got a package of four. I think that makes just enough fond and rendered fat. It also means the sauce is kind of shallow in the pan. I think it will be alright, though. Much better than last week.

[LennyB]

I have to agree with Ace. I fry everything in a vintage seasoned cast iron pan. Although I add the oil from the beginning and I know it's up to temperature when the oil has a certain shimmer to it.

[LDO]

Definitely better than last week. Wow. 

[LDO]

I wish my photos were better. Gotta work on that. 

[Ace-Garageguy]

Just now, LDO said:

I wish my photos were better. Gotta work on that. 

Looks pretty tasty to me. Nice work.

[Rodent]

Lee, your thighs look tasty 🙂