Preheat oven to 400ºF

Pat the chicken dry and season all over with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a wide ovenproof pot. Once hot, add the chicken, skin-side down, and cook for 5–7 minutes without moving until the skin is crisp and golden brown. Flip and cook for 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Add the onion, scallion whites, and celery to the pot of rendered chicken fat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5–6 minutes until golden brown and softened. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.

Add the rice and toss to coat, toasting it briefly. Stir in the grated sweet potato and season with sweet paprika, smoked paprika, and crushed red pepper. Add the currants.

Pour in chicken broth, bring to a boil, and add the chicken thighs. Turn off the heat, arrange a few thyme sprigs on top, and cover the pot. Transfer it to the oven for 16–18 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the chicken reaches 165ºF with an instant-read thermometer.

Remove the pot from the oven and discard the thyme sprigs.

Turn on the broiler.

Drizzle the chicken with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Transfer to the broiler for 2–3 minutes to crisp up the skin again.

Transfer the chicken to a plate. Stir the lemon juice into the rice and spoon the rice onto a large serving platter. Arrange the chicken on top and scatter the minced scallion greens over the dish. Enjoy!