Chicken Thighs

[Monica Bhide]

A fellow egulleter PMed me this recipe. It is really very good. I have made it at least once a week! I thought you all might enjoy it. I do apologize for I dont know the author of the recipe. So with due credit to the author.. here it is

Skewered chicken with peanut sauce

Marinade

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

1/4 cup lime juice

2 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter

2 tsp curry powder

2 garlic cloves

1 tsp dried red chili pepper flakes

1 tsp cumin

8 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into

long strips about 1/3 inch wide

24 bamboo skewers

Peanut sauce

3/4 cup coconut milk

1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp brown sugar

2 garlic cloves

1 tsp grated ginger

1 tsp crushed red pepper

1/2 cup heavy cream

Combine all marinade ingredients in a shallow dish.

Thread chicken through skewers and place in marinade;

refrigerate for one hour or overnight for an

intense flavor.

Make the peanut sauce: in a medium saucepan over

medium heat combine all the ingredients except for the

heavy cream. Stir constantly until the sauce is as

thick as the cream, about ten minutes. Transfer to a

food processor and puree briefly. Add the cream and

blend until smooth. Serve at room temperature or

slightly warm.

To Grill: prepare a covered grill for direct grilling.

Arrange chicken on the grill, turning several times

and basting with marinade until crispy on the outside

and cooked through. Garnish with cilantro and serve

with the peanut sauce.

[KNorthrup]

Suddenly I can't find either recipe (moved 6 months ago and still disorganized) but in the winter I do a stew of thighs (with both skin and bone left on) with white beans, bacon, and tomato. It's so thick it should probably be called a casserole but that was probably marketing.

[Eric_Malson]

Yet another thread that I somehow never noticed before. I love chicken thighs, too, and almost always use them when a recipe calls for a whole cut-up chicken--just never been too fond of white meat (NO comments from the peanut gallery, please!)

My favorite thing to do with chicken thighs is to make a Portuguese chicken with rice, or arroz de frango (this has the advantage of feeding my saudades de Portugal at the same time).

If you have a cleaver (I didn't until relatively recently, and my cleaver technique leaves a LOT to be desired), chop each thigh into two, or, if they're large, three pieces. The thighs can be left whole, but then increase the initial saute time. Sprinkle them, if you like, with a little coarse salt and black pepper.

Saute about 2 oz of chopped bacon in 2 tbsp. olive oil, 1 tbsp. butter, and 1 tbsp. lard (this combination of frying fats is very Portuguese) until the bacon begins to turn golden. Add the chicken pieces, along with a finely chopped medium onion, a minced clove or two of garlic, and a thinly-sliced small chorizo, and fry until the chicken pieces begin to cook through (at least 12 minutes before adding the rice if you've left the thighs whole, less if you've cut them up). I also like to add a couple of generous pinches of crushed red pepper and a couple of bay leaves, but these are optional.

Assuming you've used 2 lbs. or so of chicken....

Add a half cup of white wine at some point while the chicken pieces are frying.

Add 2-1/2 cups of rice (I like short grain or paella rice for this dish, medium grain is OK, too....long grain is an abomination). Give a good stir to coat the grains. Then add 5 cups of hot beef bouillon (also very Portuguese, using beef stock with chicken--Portuguese home cooking always uses bouillon cubes....they just don't bother about making stock most of the time, but if you really want to use good stock for this, go right ahead). Cover, but keep the lid cracked, and simmer for 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat, stir the rice and meat with a fork, cover tightly and let sit for 5 minutes, and it's ready. A little chopped parsely is nice.

Portuguese rice dishes (except for the traditional duck rice) are usually slightly soupy. The quanitities here are, obviously, pretty flexible. Just be sure to use 2 parts liquid to 1 part rice, plus some wine, and it should come out the right consistency.

And to be truly Portuguese, drink a Portuguese red wine with this.

Edit: Sam Kinsey just reminded me that this rice dish is especially good made with rabbit. If you substitute rabbit for the chicken, the dish becomes arroz de coelho à Minhota. There was a restaurant near the University in Lisbon that used to have this as a daily special on Thursdays. It was so good I would often make a special trip whenever I could (the University was nowhere near my house or workplace) just to eat it.

I think we have a dinner plan for tonight.

Edited July 26, 2003 by Eric_Malson (log)

[fresco]

"Portuguese rice dishes (except for the traditional duck rice) are usually slightly soupy. "

Eric, recipe sounds delicious and will try it. Your observation about Portuguese rice dishes is dead on--it's like in the middle of making soup, they decided to make paella instead, but left out the saffron. The squid and octopus versions are especially good.

[snowangel]

Thigh/leg quarters were on sale for $.22/lb! Guess what we'll be eating frequently...