Two Creative Ways to Cook Chicken Thighs
Chicken thighs are underrated. Or rather, chicken breasts are overrated. In truth, since I discovered the difference in the juiciness and taste, I have only bought chicken breasts for grilling purposes (actually, chicken thighs grill up quite nicely too, but they’re smaller, so you have to be a bit more diligent about flipping them). When it comes to stovetop cooking though, chicken thighs (bone in or out) are the perfect size. Big enough that they don’t disappear, but small enough that they cook quickly, and don’t dry out.
Without further ado then, here are some fun ways to do chicken thighs:
Chicken Dijonnaise
Courtesy of LCBO’s (Food and Drink).
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp (25 mL) butter
- 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil
- 8 plump skinless bone-in chicken thighs, about 2 lb (1 kg)
- ½ tsp (2 mL) salt
- 1 cup (250 mL) sliced shallots (about 6)
- ¼ cup (50 mL) good-quality smooth Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp (2 mL) black pepper
- 1 cup (250 mL) white wine (or vermouth)
- ½ cup (125 mL) whipping cream
- Thyme sprigs
Directions
2. Melt butter with oil in a large flameproof casserole or ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken thighs with salt. Cook in batches 5 to 7 minutes, until golden brown on all sides. Remove chicken thighs from casserole as each batch cooks, and set aside on a plate.
NB: This is probably the hardest step. The butter and chicken fat tend to spit a bit, and browning any sort of meat is a skill which I have only recently learned. There are 2 tricks: first, don’t crowd the chicken–I usually do no more than 3-4 thighs per batch. Second, leave them for a good 3 minutes (at least) before flipping them, this way, the meat seals, and doesn’t stick to the pot when you go to turn it, so you get a nice golden-brown layer on the meat, rather than the pot.
3. Reduce heat to medium, add shallots to fat remaining in casserole. Cook, stirring, 3 to 5 minutes until softened. Return chicken thighs to casserole, meaty side up, along with any juices that have accumulated on plate. Cover casserole and transfer to the oven.
4. Cook 25 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken thighs from casserole. Arrange meaty sides up on a baking sheet. Spread 2 tbsp (25 mL) mustard evenly over thighs (this seems like a lot of mustard, but it works). Sprinkle with pepper. Return chicken thighs to turned-off oven to keep warm.
5. Add the wine to the casserole. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to scrape up any brown bits from bottom of casserole. Boil over high heat 3 to 5 minutes, until liquid has reduced slightly. Whisk in cream and remaining mustard. Boil, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes, until sauce has thickened slightly. Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary.
6. Arrange chicken thighs on a warm shallow serving dish and pour sauce over and around chicken. Garnish with thyme and serve at once.
This goes really well with risotto, or Brussels sprouts saute.
Clay Pot Ginger Chicken
(Courtesy of Food and Wine).
I was actually really impressed with this dish. Maybe it was the ginger (I’m a total sucker for ginger) or maybe it was because we got the rice bang on, or maybe it was just the authenticity of eating it out of little white bowls with chopsticks. But I thought it was authentic-Chinese-restaurant quality good. The sugar-syrup might be the secret ingredient too.
No clay pot required. A good quality medium-to-large dutch oven will work just fine.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup hot water
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 Thai red chiles, chopped, or 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (I think we put in both)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- One 4-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into slivers
- 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 3-by-1-inch pieces
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 small onion, cut into thin wedges
- 2 scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths
- 6 cilantro sprigs, cut into 1-inch lengths
Directions
1. In a small heavy saucepan, cook 2 tablespoons of the sugar over moderate heat until bubbling and beginning to brown around the edges, 4 minutes. Gradually stir in 1/3 cup of the hot water and simmer for 3 minutes to dissolve the caramel. Remove from the heat.
2. Heat the oil in a medium Chinese clay pot or in a casserole. Add the chiles, garlic and half of the ginger and stir-fry over moderate heat until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add the chicken, fish sauce, salt and the remaining 2 teaspoons of sugar and stir until the chicken turns white, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onion wedges, the remaining 1/4 cup of hot water and the caramel sauce and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is slightly thickened, about 8 minutes. Add the scallions and cook for 3 minutes longer. Stir in the remaining ginger and remove the pot from the heat. Garnish with the cilantro and serve.