Cheese Chicken Steak

Crush the garlic with the side of a knife. Don't mince — using it whole prevents burning and maximizes aroma.

Add olive oil (1/2 tbsp) and the crushed garlic to a frying pan. Heat over low heat until the garlic surface lightly colors and the aroma comes out.

Remove the garlic and let the oil coat the pan. Take the chicken thigh out of the fridge at least 30 minutes ahead so it's at room temperature; trim any obvious sinew or excess fat. Salt evenly at 0.8% of the chicken's weight, but only on the flesh side.

Tuck the skin around the meat, place skin-side down in the pan, cover with foil, and weight it. Cook 13-15 min over low heat until the skin is beautifully browned.

After 13-15 min, remove the weight and foil and check the skin color. Once browned, flip the chicken and cook 2 more minutes (no foil) over very low heat.

Wrap the cooked chicken in foil and let it rest while the carryover heat finishes cooking and the juices settle.

Add white wine (3 tbsp) to the pan, heat over low to cook off the alcohol while scraping up the fond. When the wine boils, add the room-temperature cream cheese (15-20g) and mash it through. Add the chicken juices from the foil, stir to combine, and the sauce is done.

Plate the chicken and pour the hot cheese sauce generously on top. Optional finish with the toasted garlic and black pepper.