There’s a longstanding debate when it comes to chicken: breasts or thighs, light or dark? We know that white meat has less fat and calories, but it also has less flavor pizzazz.
A hundred grams of skinless (roasted) chicken thigh, about 3 1/2 ounces, contains 209 calories and has 10.9 grams of fat. Compare that with the same amount of skinless (roasted) chicken breast at 165 calories and 3.57 grams of fat. In terms of saturated fat, that amount of thigh meat contains 2 grams more than the breast, 3 grams instead of 1 gram.
Nutritional profiles don’t tell the whole story. Chicken thighs are moister and offer a richer, more distinct taste. Because it is more satisfying flavor-wise, I categorize that dark meat as one of those eat-smaller-portion-but-enjoy-it-more ingredients. Plus, when it comes to my food budget, it’s hard to ignore that thighs are a much bigger bargain than breasts.
Here are three delicious ways to enjoy chicken thighs, recipes that would be perfect to prepare on a Sunday afternoon spent at home. One is from chef/restauranteur/TV personality Marcus Samuelsson. His incredible fried chicken thighs are imbued with tasty Asian flavors. The thighs are fully cooked before frying. They simmer in a coconut milk mixture before being coated with panko and quickly fried in hot peanut oil. The result is moist, delicious chicken thighs that are perfectly cooked from top to bottom.
Chef Bill Bracken’s delectable chicken thighs are pan-roasted on top of the stove and supplemented with loads of fresh vegetables. The last-minute addition of capers and fresh lemon juice adds a just-right spark.
Bracken founded the Garden Grove-based Bracken’s Kitchen in 2013 after leaving the long-held executive chef position at Fashion Island Hotel Newport Beach (then the Island Hotel), where he perfected this recipe. Bracken’s Kitchen is a community feeding program aimed at helping those in need, using a food recovery program and providing culinary training.
Chef Jacques Pepin, PBS TV host and cookbook author, has developed a slick technique for making sure bone-in chicken thighs cook thoroughly, creating to-the-bone doneness in a short amount of time. Before the bird is cooked, he trims away excess fat from the sides of the thighs (I do this with clean scissors) and then cuts about 1/2-inch deep on either side of the thigh bone. Easy.
The thighs start skin-down in a cold, dry skillet, a technique used when cooking duck breasts. It’s a method that creates beautifully browned skin that is super crisp. Pepin’s quick pan sauce teams diced fresh mushrooms with onion and garlic, chives and white wine.
Enjoy.
Bracken’s Pan Roasted Chicken Thighs with Vegetables, Lemon and Capers
Yield: 2 (2-thigh) servings, or 4 (1-thigh) servings
INGREDIENTS
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
All-purpose flour for dusting
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
Kernels from 1 fresh ear of corn or 3/4 cup frozen corn kernels
8 roasted fingerling potatoes, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
Optional: 1/4 cup shelled, peeled fava beans or shelled edamame
0 fresh green beans, cut or torn into 1/2-inch pieces, blanched tender-crisp, drained
Optional: 1 ounce pea tendrils, see cook’s notes
15 small cherry tomatoes
1 large shallot, minced
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon drained capers
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil or tarragon
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon whipping cream
Optional: 1 teaspoon butter
Cook’s notes: Pea tendrils make a lovely addition, but they generally aren’t available at supermarkets. They are often available at Asian markets with large produce sections and home gardeners who grow sugar snap peas have them in large supply. If you can’t find them, omit them. The dish will still be delectable.
PROCEDURE
1. Season chicken thighs with salt and freshly ground pepper; dust lightly with flour. Heat oil in medium-sized deep skillet on medium heat; add chicken skin-side down in single layer. Cook until golden brown on each side. If thighs aren’t overly large, you will be able to cook them thoroughly on the stovetop. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover; cook until no pink color remains next to the bone. Or if the thighs are really large, use an ovenproof skillet, and once the thighs are nicely browned put the skillet into a 375-degree oven and roast until thoroughly cooked.
2. While the chicken is cooking, heat butter in a second medium-sized deep skillet on medium heat. Add potatoes and corn to melted butter; cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until potatoes are a little crispy. Add in the fava beans or edamame (if using), green beans and pea tendrils (if using) and continue to cook, tossing often. When the pea tendrils are wilted and the beans are hot, add in the tomatoes and toss quickly; cook until tomatoes start to barely burst open. Seasons with salt and fresh ground pepper and remove from the heat. Divide in the center of plates and when the chicken is done, place chicken on top.
3. Using the same pan that the chicken was cooked in, drain off all but 1 teaspoon oil and quickly sauté the shallots on medium-high heat until softened. Add lemon juice and scrape up any brown bits that are sticking to the pan (these will give flavor to the sauce). Add capers, herbs and chicken broth; cook on high to reduce by half in volume. Add cream and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. If desired, swirl in butter off heat by shaking skillet handle. Spoon over chicken and serve.
Fried Chicken
Yield: 6 servings
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons peanut oil, plus 4 cups for frying
12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 fresh Scotch bonnet chilies or Serrano chilies, seeds and ribs removed, chopped
2 tablespoons red curry paste
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
Juice from 2 limes
4 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups panko breadcrumbs, see cook’s notes
4 large egg whites
1 teaspoon salt
PROCEDURE
1. Heat 3 tablespoons peanut oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Working in batches, add chicken and brown on both sides. Remove from pan and set aside. Add garlic, chilies and curry paste and sauté until golden and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add coconut milk, lime juice, 1 cup water and return the chicken to the pan. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered until chicken is cooked through, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
2. Combine cornstarch and panko in shallow dish. Place egg whites in a separate shallow dish.
3. Dip chicken in egg whites then roll in panko-cornstarch mix. Coat well, pressing down panko a little to help it adhere to the surface.
4. Heat peanut oil in a large, deep pan to 350 degrees. Carefully add the chicken pieces and fry until golden brown on both sides. About 4 to 5 minutes total cooking time.
5. Place on paper towel to remove excess oil. Season with salt. If desired, serve with cooked collard greens on the side.
Source: Marcus Samuelsson’s “New American Table” (Wiley, $40)
Jacques Pepin’s Crusty Chicken Thighs with Mushroom Sauce
Yield: 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
4 large chicken thighs, about 1 3/4 pounds total, skin on, bone in
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup diced onion
1 1/2 tablespoons coarsely chopped garlic
3 cups washed and diced white mushrooms or cremini mushrooms
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives or green portion of green onion
PROCEDURE
1. Arrange chicken thighs skin side down on a cutting board. Using a sharp paring knife, trim off any excess skin at the edges (I use scissors) and then cut about 1/2-inch deep into the flesh on either side of the thigh bone. (This will help the meat cook more quickly.) Sprinkle the thighs with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and arrange them skin side down in one layer in a nonstick skillet with a tight-fitting lid.
2. Place skillet over high heat and when thighs start sizzling reduce heat to medium, cover tightly and cook for 16 to 18 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure the chicken is browning properly. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 200 degrees. If chicken seems to be cooking too fast after 10 minutes or so, reduce heat to low. The skin of the chicken should be very crisp and brown. Place chicken skin side up on rimmed baking sheet or ovenproof platter and place in oven.
3. Discard all but 2 tablespoons fat from the skillet in which you cooked the chicken (usually I don’t have any more than 2 tablespoons in skillet). Add onion, garlic and mushrooms; sauté over high heat for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until mushrooms are lightly browned and liquid evaporates. Season with about 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper on the mushrooms and then add the wine and any liquid that has accumulated around the thighs on the baking sheet or platter. Cook the sauce over high heat for about 1 to 2 minutes to reduce liquid.
4. To serve, divide the sauce among 4 plates. Place thigh in the middle of mushroom sauce on each plate, spoon some sauce over and sprinkle on chives and serve.
Source: Jacques Pepin, “Jacques Pepin More Fast Food My Way” (Houghton Mifflin, $32)
Have a cooking question? Contact Cathy Thomas at cathythomascooks@gmail.com
