This New York Times recipe is good for a dinner party. It easily serves 4-6 and spends 40 minutes unperturbed in the oven, making it something that can cook during cocktails and chit chat. We made just a few tweaks to the original recipe.

INGREDIENTS
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or peanut oil
1 large yellow or white onion, chopped
2 green or red bell peppers, halved, seeded and sliced (not ultra thin)
2 ½ cups chicken stock
2 red Fresno chiles or jalapeños, halved, seeded and chopped
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick, broken in half (optional - we would omit)
3 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed
⅓ pound cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup basmati rice, rinsed in a sieve until the water runs clear
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
Salt and pepper
Lime wedges, pickled chiles, sliced fresh chiles, sour cream and sliced avocado, for serving

PREPARATION
Heat the oven to 375 degrees.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides.
In a small saucepan, begin heating the chicken stock. You will need in boiling in about 15 minutes.

Heat the oil in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet like a cast iron pan (the pan size is very important) over medium high.
Working in batches, brown the chicken on both sides to give it good color, 3 to 5 minutes per side.
Transfer to a plate.
Drain all but a few tablespoons of schmaltz.

Add the onion and bell peppers to the pan and sauté until just starting to soften, about 5 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper.
Add the Fresno chiles or jalapeños, cinnamon (if using(, garlic and cumin to the skillet and cook for about 2 minutes.
Add cherry tomatoes and cook for 1 minutes.
Add black beans on top.
Season generously with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle the rice on top in an even layer. (It’s important that the black beans are beneath the rice and chicken. The rice will burn otherwise.)
Add the boiling stock.
Nestle chicken thighs, skin-side up, in the pan.

Put pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes.
The chicken should be lovely and golden, the stock should be absorbed and the rice should be tender.
Sprinkle with the cilantro.

Serve with lime wedges, pickled chiles, sliced fresh chiles, sour cream and avocado.