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Chicken Thighs


Monica Bhide

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Okay, a confession is in order here. I look at so many cookbooks, ideas, and what not and then when the time comes to cooking chicken thighs, I always make them the same way.. with Indian spices ( so a chicken curry, or tandoori or korma.. )

I am determined to do something different tonite.... can you help expand my horizons?

Something with a lot of flavor.. I dont mind a complicated recipe.. I am determined not to go back to doing what I know.

Thanks.. and thanks for patiently answering so many of my other questions, I have learnt a lot from you folks

Monica Bhide

A Life of Spice

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There is a great andalucian dish using

Chickpeas, garden peas, garlic, olives ( black ), fino sherry ( 1 cup ) and thyme

Simply enough you brown the chicken ( skinless ) and put in a shallow dish with the remaining ingredients and a good glug of olive oil and bake in the oven for about 35 mins.

Er, that's it. It works wonderfully with a glass of cold fino with it.

S

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I often saute whole, bone-in, skin-on thighs in butter, and finish them in the oven. Then, I remove the thighs from the pan and throw in a handful or two of minced shallots. After a moment or two, when the shallots are soft, I add a cup of white wine vinegar, and a half cup of water and reduce it a bit. When the sauce is a consistency I like, I add salt and pepper to taste as well as a tablespoon or two of butter. Stir the sauce well, and serve it over the thighs with minced parsley to garnish. I think I stole this from Mark Bittman, who credited someone else with the idea, but, in any event, it's a great quick meal.

A jumped-up pantry boy who never knew his place.

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Are these skinless and boneless, Monica? :sad:

"I've caught you Richardson, stuffing spit-backs in your vile maw. 'Let tomorrow's omelets go empty,' is that your fucking attitude?" -E. B. Farnum

"Behold, I teach you the ubermunch. The ubermunch is the meaning of the earth. Let your will say: the ubermunch shall be the meaning of the earth!" -Fritzy N.

"It's okay to like celery more than yogurt, but it's not okay to think that batter is yogurt."

Serving fine and fresh gratuitous comments since Oct 5 2001, 09:53 PM

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I often saute whole, bone-in, skin-on thighs in butter, and finish them in the oven.  Then, I remove the thighs from the pan and throw in a handful or two of minced shallots.  After a moment or two, when the shallots are soft, I add a cup of white wine vinegar, and a half cup of water and reduce it a bit.  When the sauce is a consistency I like, I add salt and pepper to taste as well as a tablespoon or two of butter. Stir the sauce well, and serve it over the thighs with minced parsley to garnish.  I think I stole this from Mark Bittman, who credited someone else with the idea, but, in any event, it's a great quick meal.

I love Mark's recipes. I have tried many from his simple to spectacular book. I will surely try this.. does not seem all that hard and sounds delicious... thanks

Monica Bhide

A Life of Spice

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Monica, there are so many possibilities. Poached in white wine and shallots, then crusted with seasoned panko and fried. Rubbed with ancho and cumin then roasted at 450 F, pulled from the bone and served with polenta, rapini, and wild mushrooms. "Red cooked" by braising in shoyu and rice wine...

"I've caught you Richardson, stuffing spit-backs in your vile maw. 'Let tomorrow's omelets go empty,' is that your fucking attitude?" -E. B. Farnum

"Behold, I teach you the ubermunch. The ubermunch is the meaning of the earth. Let your will say: the ubermunch shall be the meaning of the earth!" -Fritzy N.

"It's okay to like celery more than yogurt, but it's not okay to think that batter is yogurt."

Serving fine and fresh gratuitous comments since Oct 5 2001, 09:53 PM

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This one calls for a whole chicken cut into parts, but I see no reason why you couldn't use thighs alone. Definately bone in, skin on or off a personal preference. This dish is fabulous.

By way of the New York Times:

CHICKEN WITH TWO VINEGARS

Time: 55 minutes

1 3- to 4-pound chicken, cut into serving pieces

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup Champagne vinegar or other white wine vinegar

4 shallots, peeled and finely chopped

1/2 cup French chardonnay or other white wine

1 1/2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade

6 to 8 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped

1/3 cup heavy cream.

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a large cast-iron skillet, heat the oil and butter over medium-high heat, and saute chicken until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes a side. Transfer chicken to a platter.

2. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from the skillet. Add the red and white vinegars, and deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom with a spatula. Add the shallots, and saute briefly until they become translucent. Add the white wine, and bring to a boil. Return chicken to the pan, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes, then transfer chicken to a platter.

3. Add chicken stock and tomatoes to the pan. Stir with a wooden spoon until tomatoes begin to break down and form a sauce, about 10 minutes. Add heavy cream, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and return chicken pieces to pan. Cook until chicken is heated through and coated with sauce, 5 to 10 minutes. Serve, if desired, with steamed rice or small tubular pasta like ziti.

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Start with any recipe that calls for chicken breasts.  It will be better with thighs.

Funny you said that, I am not a huge fan of chicken breasts.... get dinged whenever I say that. I just do not like them.. find the thighs to be more moist and tasty .. wow, wonder how many people will write and say I am nuts

Monica Bhide

A Life of Spice

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There is a great andalucian dish using

Chickpeas, garden peas, garlic, olives ( black ), fino sherry ( 1 cup ) and thyme

Simply enough you brown the chicken ( skinless ) and put in a shallow dish with the remaining ingredients and a good glug of olive oil and bake in the oven for about 35 mins.

Er, that's it.  It works wonderfully with a glass of cold fino with it.

S

So glad I read this before going to the market today. Now I know what to shop for.

Thanks Simon.

Heather Johnson

In Good Thyme

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Monica, there are so many possibilities. Poached in white wine and shallots, then crusted with seasoned panko and fried. Rubbed with ancho and cumin then roasted at 450 F, pulled from the bone and served with polenta, rapini, and wild mushrooms. "Red cooked" by braising in shoyu and rice wine...

Anyone of those that you can share.. I was leaning towards cumin.. but no.... too familiar... anyone of these.. please :smile:

Monica Bhide

A Life of Spice

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There is a great andalucian dish using

Chickpeas, garden peas, garlic, olives ( black ), fino sherry ( 1 cup ) and thyme

Simply enough you brown the chicken ( skinless ) and put in a shallow dish with the remaining ingredients and a good glug of olive oil and bake in the oven for about 35 mins.

Er, that's it.  It works wonderfully with a glass of cold fino with it.

S

Okay with this other than the olives.. somehow I have never developed a taste for them .. I know its sad.. what can I say, I am quite unsophisticated :unsure::wink:

Monica Bhide

A Life of Spice

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Funny you said that, I am not a huge fan of chicken breasts.... get dinged whenever I say that. I just do not like them.. find the thighs to be more moist and tasty .. wow, wonder how many people will write and say I am nuts

No, probably only Soba will shudder, but he's pretty understanding about other people's feelings about chicken breasts. I'm with you.

If you want to get really elaborate, you can always bone them and stuff them with a forcemeat before braising them. (Sorry, I don't have a recipe at hand, 'cause I never do it myself :biggrin: ). Otherwise, I prefer to leave them bone-in, skin-on.

Marinate in jerk sauce or Jamaican seasonings (allspice, thyme, Scotch Bonnet pepper, vinegar, garlic, and so on) and then grill. Serve with coconut rice.

Chicken "cacciatore": braise with wild mushrooms and tomatoes. Serve over polenta.

Marinated with lemon juice, garlic, oregano, and marjoram and baked, for "Greek style." Just don't marinate for very long, or they'll turn mushy.

Oh dear, I could spend all day here!

Edited by Suzanne F (log)
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Monica, there are so many possibilities. Poached in white wine and shallots, then crusted with seasoned panko and fried. Rubbed with ancho and cumin then roasted at 450 F, pulled from the bone and served with polenta, rapini, and wild mushrooms. "Red cooked" by braising in shoyu and rice wine...

Anyone of those that you can share.. I was leaning towards cumin.. but no.... too familiar... anyone of these.. please :smile:

You don't need to use cumin.

Roast and puree an acho chile. Add minced garlic and ginger, dried oregano, a bit of mirin, season. Pat chicken very dry. Rub paste all over, let marinate for about an hour or more. Oven at 450 F.

Easy.

Or use dried ancho powder, mix everything together, slather on chicken.

To do a simple "red cooked" just brown the chicken well, remove from pan, pour off fat (reserve it), deglaze with rice wine, put chicken back, pour in shoyu to cover about one third, add chopped garlic and ginger, crushed white pepper corns. Braise, strain sauce, place chicken on platter napped with sauce. Serve with rice and steamed greens.

Easy.

Nothing's hard.

"I've caught you Richardson, stuffing spit-backs in your vile maw. 'Let tomorrow's omelets go empty,' is that your fucking attitude?" -E. B. Farnum

"Behold, I teach you the ubermunch. The ubermunch is the meaning of the earth. Let your will say: the ubermunch shall be the meaning of the earth!" -Fritzy N.

"It's okay to like celery more than yogurt, but it's not okay to think that batter is yogurt."

Serving fine and fresh gratuitous comments since Oct 5 2001, 09:53 PM

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Confit.

Rub the thighs with salt, thyme, pepper, garlic, spices. Leave for half an hour (or as long as you like) in the fridge.

Wash off the salt etc

Immerse in fat of choice (preferably duck or goose, but you can use butter or even oil) and cook slowly for a long time 140F 2 hours. Drain.

Lots of ways to serve:

- with a warm salad - bacon bits, garlic croutons, eggs

- with saute potatos, or just mashed

- with a bean puree

- on lentils

- shredded , wrapped in lettuce leaf or pancake, chinese duck style

etc etc

Edited by jackal10 (log)
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Monica, there are so many possibilities. Poached in white wine and shallots, then crusted with seasoned panko and fried. Rubbed with ancho and cumin then roasted at 450 F, pulled from the bone and served with polenta, rapini, and wild mushrooms. "Red cooked" by braising in shoyu and rice wine...

Anyone of those that you can share.. I was leaning towards cumin.. but no.... too familiar... anyone of these.. please :smile:

You don't need to use cumin.

Roast and puree an acho chile. Add minced garlic and ginger, dried oregano, a bit of mirin, season. Pat chicken very dry. Rub paste all over, let marinate for about an hour or more. Oven at 450 F.

Easy.

Or use dried ancho powder, mix everything together, slather on chicken.

To do a simple "red cooked" just brown the chicken well, remove from pan, pour off fat (reserve it), deglaze with rice wine, put chicken back, pour in shoyu to cover about one third, add chopped garlic and ginger, crushed white pepper corns. Braise, strain sauce, place chicken on platter napped with sauce. Serve with rice and steamed greens.

Easy.

Nothing's hard.

What can i say :wub::wub::wub::wub::wub:

THANKS

Monica Bhide

A Life of Spice

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( so a chicken curry, or tandoori or korma.. )

I am determined to do something different tonite.... can you help expand my horizons?

Well, if you are looking non-Indian chicken legs you may ignore.

I have used a cook book by Rocky Mohan "Art of Indian Cuisine" and here are some from his book.

SINDI MURGH

ADRAKI MURGH

MURGH KASOORI METHI

MURGH DHANIA

MURGH PUDINA

MURGH KAJU

MURGH KALONGI

MURGH ZAFRANI

MURGH SHAKOOTEE

MURGH KALIMIRCH

P2

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( so a chicken curry, or tandoori or korma.. )

I am determined to do something different tonite.... can you help expand my horizons?

Well, if you are looking non-Indian chicken legs you may ignore.

I have used a cook book by Rocky Mohan "Art of Indian Cuisine" and here are some from his book.

SINDI MURGH

ADRAKI MURGH

MURGH KASOORI METHI

MURGH DHANIA

MURGH PUDINA

MURGH KAJU

MURGH KALONGI

MURGH ZAFRANI

MURGH SHAKOOTEE

MURGH KALIMIRCH

P2

I have Rocky Mohan's, I want to try one of yours! :wub:

Monica Bhide

A Life of Spice

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The last issue, not the current one, of Fine Cooking had four 'quick' chicken stews using thighs. I've tried two of them so far, Southwestern with black beans and chipotle, one with fennel and sausage. The southwestern was the favorite, but they were both very good. Not necessarily quick, but delicious!

KathyM

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