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THE DAY BEFORE COOKING: If chicken is wet, pat it dry so spices adhere easily. Season thighs evenly on both sides with the kosher salt and pepper.
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Place chicken thighs into a gallon size Zipock bag (or a large dish or bowl), add the smashed garlic, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves. The benefit of the bag is that it uses up the smallest amount of space and is much easier to fit in the fridge. Also, you can easily rearrange the chicken in the bag so it gets evenly flavored by the garlic and herbs, without having to open up the dish and dirty up another utensil.
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Close bag, squeezing all the air out. Use your hand to mix ingredients slightly, so they are dispersed somewhat evenly. Place in fridge (I like to rest the bag on a small plate) for at least 12 hours or, preferably, overnight. If possible, at some point mix the chicken up slightly to move the garlic and herbs around.
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ON THE DAY OF COOKING: Preheat oven to 225u00b0F if slow roasting. Otherwise, get your slow cooker out.
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Remove the chicken from the bag and place in a colander, reserving the aromatics. Rinse to get some of the salt off and pat dry very well.
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Place the thighs into a roasting pan large enough to hold all the chicken, but not so big you can't cover it with oil. Or place chicken into the slow cooker.
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Disperse all the aromatics you used when brining. Add rosemary, if using, and scatter the sliced onion over. Add a 50/50 mixture of olive oil and canola oil until the chicken is completely submerged. It has to be totally covered with the oil, or it will not cook evenly.
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Cover and roast in the oven for 6 to 8 hours. You can check the chicken at the 6 hour mark, it should be really tender. If using a slow cooker, cook on low for 3 hours, then increase heat and cook on high for another 2 hours.
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Let the chicken and pan come to room temperature. You can pull out some thighs right away if you want to use them immediately, or cover and place in the fridge. It might be easier to move the thighs to another bowl, just make sure they are always submerged in the oil and covered tightly. The chicken will keep for 5 or 6 days. Also, strain the oil and reserve to fry the chicken in it, or other foods like potatoes.
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When you want to use the chicken, just remove the desired amount and fry in the reserved oil, starting skin side down over medium heat. Let the skin get really golden before flipping, so it doesn't stick.
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Alternatively, shred the chicken and use in salads, on a pizza, tacos or pasta.
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Enjoy!
