Mediterranean skillet chicken thighs with artichokes and olives

Preheat the oven to 400.

Preheat a cast iron skillet with a little olive oil until really hot.

Season the trimmed chicken thighs really well with salt and pepper on both sides.

Lay the thighs in skin side down and leave 12 to 15 minutes between medium and medium-high to render the fat and crisp the skin, not so high that the seasoning burns.

Turn and cook about five minutes on the other side; it need not be cooked through. Remove.

Pour off some of the rendered fat, leaving a little; add chopped garlic for a few seconds.

Deglaze with a little wine (optional), lifting the stuck bits from the bottom.

Add a little chicken stock, the chopped rosemary and thyme, and a little salt; bring to a boil.

Return the chicken skin side up with its juices, keeping the skin out of the liquid so it stays crisp; add the halved artichoke hearts and scatter in the olives.

Bake at 400 about 15 minutes, until the thickest part of the thigh reaches about 170 (170 to 175 preferred for dark meat); here it took about 10 minutes.

Squeeze lemon over the warm sauce and add chopped parsley; serve with roast potatoes, a baguette or a green salad.