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Posts Tagged ‘Chicken Thighs’

Happy Chinese New Year and all good fortune in the year of the rabbit. We celebrated with this simple version of a classic, super tender chicken with a delicous sauce.

Wine Suggestion: If you feel like a white, go for a Marsanne like Andre Perret’s VdP version from the Northern Rhone. That’s what we did.

Soy sauce chicken – serves 4

  • 1kg chicken thighs
  • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 4 scallions, 3 cut in half, 1 finely slice on an angle, to serve
  • 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, grated
  • 3 star anise
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 240ml light soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 2 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
  • 3 tbsp dark brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 1 tbsp water
  • steamed jasmine rice and steamed greens to serve

Season the chicken with salt and set aside.

Heat the oil in a wok, then add the 3 halved scallions, ginger, star anise and bay leaves. Toss for about 5 minutes until fragrant.

Pour in the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing rice wine, 2 tbsp of the sugar and 480ml of water. Turn the heat up to hight and bring to the boil.

Slide in the chicken thighs, skin side down, in a single layer. Add more water if need to just about cover the chicken.

Turn the heat to low, cover with a lid and leave to simmer for 35 minutes. Turn the chicken over and cook for another 10 minutes.

Remove the chicken to a plate and leave until cool enough to handle, then remove the bones and slice. Arrange on a serving dish.

Meanwhile, strain the cooking liquid and discard the solids. Put 150ml into a small pan and put the pan over a medium heat. Just before it boils, add the cornflower mixture and 1 tbsp brown sugar. Remove from the heat once it’s at a nice thickness (you can add a bit more of the reserved cooking liquor if it gets too thick – you want it coating the back of a spoon).

Pour the sauce over the sliced chicken and sprinkle over the sliced scallion. Serve with jasmine rice and lots of steamed greens.

(Original recipe by Thy Lundkvist in BBC Good Food Magazine, January 2022.)

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This is a nice soupy-stew sort of thing. Perfect for cold nights but still with nice fresh flavours.

Wine Suggestion: We went a bit left-field for this dish and look for an aged white Rioja where you get the roundness and poise of an oaked chardonnay but with a slightly softer acidity. Graceful in age the Urbina Rioja Bianco Crianza 2014 was both youthful with melon and citrus fruits, and with a layer of aged, tertiary fennel, aniseed and peach. A joy to know this is the current release from an under the radar winery.

Chicken with leeks & orzo – serves 3

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 6 large chicken thighs
  • 250g leeks, cut into short lengths, wash well to get rid of any grit and pat dry with kitchen paper.
  • 1 litre chicken stock
  • half a lemon, cut into 2 fat wedges
  • 6 black peppercorns
  • 200g orzo
  • 150g frozen peas
  • a small handful of parsley, roughly chopped
  • a small handful of tarragon, roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Heat the oil in a large, deep casserole dish. Fry the chicken thighs until well-browned on both sides, then remove and set aside.

Add the leeks to the chicken fat in the pan and cook over a medium-low heat, with the lid on, for 5 minutes, you want them softened but not browned.

Add the stock and stir with a wooden spoon until it comes to the boil, then add half the lemon, peppercorns and 1 tsp of salt. Scatter in the orzo and boil for 3 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan, then cover and bake for 35 minutes.

Add the peas, then return to the oven for another 5 minutes. Add the tarragon and parsley and serve in warm bowls.

(Original recipe from A Cook’s Book by Nigel Slater, 4th Estate, 2021)

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So tasty and an absolute doddle to prepare. We served with some crusty bread and baked halloumi. Delicious!

Za’atar, paprika & garlic chicken – serves 3

  • 6 large chicken thighs
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 heaped tbsp za’atar
  • 1 tbsp paprika
  • 1 tbsp garlic granules
  • finely grated zest of 1 lemon and juice of ½

Heat your oven to 180C/160C fan/Gas 4.

Line a baking tray with paper.

Put the chicken thighs into a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, and add the spices, lemon zest and juice and lots of salt and pepper. Mix with your hands to coat the chicken in the mixture.

Put the chicken onto the lined tray and roast for 1 hour or until well browned and cooked through (you can check at 45 minute if your thighs are small).

(Original recipe from Persian Everyday by Sabrina Ghayour, Aster, 2022.)

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We made this a few weeks ago for a small group of friends (before omicron took hold) and it was devoured with gusto. Despite the list of ingredients it’s all quite straight forward and a recipe to keep up your sleeve for any occasion … for friends, or just for yourself.

Wine Suggestion: the wine opened at the time was determined by the event, the Altosur Malbec made by Finca Sophenia in Tuppangato, Mendoza and what a triumph it was. Body and depth with seemless and juicy tannins; it just made it taste the dish a bit richer and more sophisticated.

Chicken kari – serves 4 to 6

  • 4 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp black mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1 cassia bark stick (not a cinnamon stick)
  • 3 cardamom pods, crushed
  • 1 large onion, very finely chopped
  • thumb-size piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and finely grated
  • 4 big cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1-2 small green chillies or 1-2 long red chillies, split but leave the stalks intact
  • 8 large chicken thighs, skin removed but bone-in
  • 2 tsp ground turmeric
  • 4 large tomatoes, roughly diced
  • 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • Steamed rice, to serve

Warm the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the mustard, fenugreek, cumin and coriander seeds, the cassia bark and cardamom pods and fry until the mustard seeds start to pop. Keep giving the pan a shake.

Stir in the onion and cook for a few minutes until it starts to brown and caramelise.

Add the ginger, garlic and chillies and stir-fry for a minute, then add the chicken thighs, turmeric and lots of salt and pepper and stir well. Add the fresh and tinned tomatoes, then add enough cold water to cover the chicken. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 2 hours, stirring now and then. Top up with more water if needed.

Remove the cassia bark and cardamom pods, then season again to test if needed and serve.

(Original recipe from Simply by Sabrina Ghayour, Mitchell Beazley, 2020.)

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This all cooks in one pot and the sauce is lovely. We’ve been informed by our daughter, Orlaith, that we can definitely do this dish again as it is almost as nice as noodles. The recipe is by Diana Henry, the queen of chicken recipes.

Wine Suggestion: Earthy reds are what are called for here and tonight it was the turn of Herdade do Peso “Trinca Bolotas” kindly shared by our friends T&M who joined us for dinner. An Alicante Bouschet, Touriga Nacional & Aragonez blend from the Alentejo, Portugal; rich, earthy and complex.

Chicken with chorizo and peppers – serves 4

  • 8 chicken thighs (we used a mix of thighs and drumsticks)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 225g chorizo, sliced
  • 2 onions, sliced
  • 2 red peppers, sliced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
  • 200ml rioja
  • 200ml chicken stock
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4 sprigs of thyme, plus the leaves of an extra sprig, to garnish

Trim the skin on the chicken, season with salt and pepper, and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.

Heat the oil in a large shallow casserole over a medium heat. Add the chorizo and cook for a few minutes, then scoop out with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the onions and peppers and cook for about 10 minutes, until softening. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes, then tip everything into the dish with the chorizo.

Brown the chicken in the chorizo oil until browned on all sides. This is easier in batches. Set the chicken aside, then tip off all but 1 tbsp of oil from the pan.

Add the rioja and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, then add the stock, bay and thyme, Add the chorizo and veg and bring to a simmer. Nestle the chicken into the sauce with the skin-side up. Transfer to the oven, uncovered, and cook for 35-40 minutes. Add some water if the sauce reduces too quickly.

When the chicken is cooked through, season, and sprinkle with the thyme leaves.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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This is a nice simple marinade for chicken thighs, perfect for sunny evenings.

Wine Suggestion: A good match with a nice, dry Provençal rosé. Tonight, one Jono’s work has commissioned from Chateau Vignelaure, the “Ode to Joy Rosé”. The name is inspired by Beethoven’s famous symphony which was written to celebrate the end of war and desperation, but with the current pandemic dragging on and effecting all our lives also celebrating hope and better times ahead from this as well. We’ll happily celebrate this with this wine as it’s delicious and tastes of a joyful summer.

Herby lemon chicken thighs – serves 6

  • 12 boneless chicken thighs with the skin on
  • 50ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 50g preserved lemon, finely chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely grated
  • 3 tbsp oregano leaves, roughly chopped
  • 2 tbsp rosemary leaves, roughly chopped
  • lemon wedges, to serve

Put the chicken thighs into a shallow dish, then add the olive oil, preserved lemon, garlic, herbs and lots of salt and pepper. Mix with your hands to coat then cover and leave in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Take out of the fridge for 15 minutes before cooking.

Cook on a hot barbecue for 15-20 minutes or until cooked. Serve with the lemon wedges.

(Original recipe from Outdoor Cooking by Tom Kerridge, Bloomsbury Absolute, 2021.)

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This is the ultimate weekday dinner as it cooks in one roasting tray, and with excellent results. We made it as we had left-over chorizo and potatoes from the previous weekend and some chipotle paste in the fridge.

Wine Suggestion: The robust flavours of smoky chipotle and the chorizo beg for a Spanish red like the Cantos de Valpiedra from Rioja. Smooth and elegant, but with a deep aromatic core of dark fruits and layered spices, and a long, refined finish.

Chipotle chicken with leeks & chorizo – serves 2 (easily doubled)

  • 4 skin-on chicken thighs
  • 1 tsp chipotle paste
  • 1 large leek, cut into thick slices
  • 250g baby new potatoes
  • olive oil
  • 100g diced chorizo

Heat the oven to 200C/180 fan/gas 6.

Put the chicken thighs into a large baking tray, then brush with the chipotle paste and season with some salt and pepper.

Spread the leeks and potatoes between the chicken. Drizzle the veg with a little bit of oil and toss but don’t be tempted to add too much as there will be plenty of fat released from the chicken and chorizo as they cook.

Roast for 30 minutes, tossing the veg halfway through.

Add the chorizo, then season the veg and roast for another 20 minutes until the potatoes are browned and the chicken cooked through.

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Chicken & new potato traybake

This really couldn’t be easier, everything in the one pan and shoved in the oven. New potatoes haven’t quite landed in Ireland yet but we chopped up some waxy ones which worked pretty well. Lemon, olives, bay, chicken & garlic – made for each other! Serve with a green salad.

Wine Suggestion: a joyously inexpensive southern French white, the Les Terrasses de la Negly, a Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat Petit Grains and Muscat d’Alexandria blend. One highly popular grape with two that are deeply out of fashion. The wine: easy, fruity, fresh and with texture to work with the food.

Chicken & new potato traybake – serves 2

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 500g new potatoes
  • 140g large pitted green olives
  • 1 lemon, quartered
  • 8 fresh bay leaves
  • 6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
  • 4 large chicken thighs

Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/Gas 6.

Pour the olive oil into a large roasting tray, then add the potatoes, olives, lemon, bay leaves, and garlic. Toss to coat everything in the oil, then nestle in the chicken thighs, skin-side up of course, and season well.

Put the dish in the oven and cook for an hour, basting half-way through. Check the chicken and potatoes are cooked, then return to the oven for a final 15 minutes to crispy up the chicken skin.

Remove the tin from the oven and squash the roasted garlic, discard the papery skin and stir the garlic into juices. Serve with a green salad, we had peppery watercress.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Korean chicken with sesame sprinkle

Heaps of flavour in this Korean-inspired dish by Melissa Hemsley. Great on a weeknight with a green salad.

Wine Suggestion: This, like a lot of Korean dishes, is assertive, and has layers of bold flavours which makes winematching tricky but there are a number of options. Firstly a dry Marsala or dry Oloroso sherry. If neither of these are to hand then a lush and fruit forward red from Portugal. Our choice tonight was the Quinta de la Rosa Tinto from the Douro. They make lovely Ports here too, but have also dedicated vineyards and care for their dry wines as well; well worth searching out.

Korean chicken with sesame sprinkle – serves 2

  • 4 chicken thighs
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves finely chopped or grated
  • 3cm piece of ginger, finely chopped or grated
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes or Korean chilli powder
  • 1½ tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • 6 tbsp tamari
  • 2½ tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup

FOR THE SESAME SPRINKLE

  • 4 tbsp black & white sesame seeds (we only had white)
  • 2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
  • ½ tsp chilli flakes or Korean chilli powder

Preheat the oven to fan 220C/Gas 9.

Mix everything together(except the ingredients for the sprinkle) in a large heavy baking dish. Spread the chicken pieces out in a single layer, skin side down, and bake for 12 minutes.

Stir everything in the dish and turn the chicken pieces skin side up. Roast for another 12 to 15 minutes or until golden and cooked through.

Meanwhile, prepare the sesame sprinkle by mixing the ingredients together. Sprinkle over the cooked chicken and serve.

(Original recipe from Eat Happy by Melissa Hemsley, Ebury Press, 2018.)

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Chargrilled Pepper & Lime Chicken with Lime Aïoli

We’re just back from holidays in France and there seems to be a little heatwave going on. You can’t get more straight forward than this for tasty barbecued chicken and a cheat’s aïoli. Less time spent inside and more time to sit in the sun. We actually cooked this back in May when the sun was also shining – serve with some seasonal veg or salad.

Wine Suggestion: one of the wines we picked up on our trip was Chateau du Hureau’s Foudre blanc, 100% Chenin Blanc made and matured in large 20hl oak casks. A good choice.

Chargrilled pepper chicken with lime aïoli – serves 2

  • 4-6 skinless boneless chicken thighs
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 4 tbsp mayonnaise
  • ½ a clove of garlic, crushed

Trim any big bits of fat off the chicken thighs. Lay them out on a piece of cling film and put another piece of cling film on top. Gently bash the chicken with a rolling pin to flatten.

Put the chicken into a dish and add half of the lime juice, 1 tbsp of olive oil, some salt and lots of black pepper. Leave to marinate for about 15 minutes.

To make the aïoli, put the mayonnaise into a dish and add the rest of the lime juice, the garlic and some seasoning. Stir together until combined.

Shake off excess marinade and cook the chicken on a hot griddle or barbecue for about 4 minutes on each side.

Serve with the aïoli. Some chips would also be good.

(Original recipe from BBC Olive Magazine, June 2011.)

 

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Rosemary roast chicken thighs, asparagus & new potatoes

A weeknight treat to celebrate the new season’s bounty.

Wine Suggestion: We had a glass of the Domaine St Denis Macon-Lugny, a superb chardonnay from the Mâconnais in Burgundy and from the only grower-winemaker in this village (the rest goes to the co-op). Excellent flavours and a nutty depth marry well with the fresh, new season flavours and roasted chicken; a good choice.

Rosemary Roast Chicken Thighs with Asparagus & New Potatoes – serves 4

  • 750g small new potatoes, halved
  • 2 large bunches of asparagus, discard the woody ends
  • 1 whole bulb of garlic, cloves separated
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lemon, halved
  • small handful of rosemary sprigs
  • 8 chicken thighs

Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.

Put the potatoes, asparagus, garlic cloves and olive oil into a large roasting tray and season well. Squeeze over the juice from the lemon halves, then cut into chunks and add to the tray. Toss together well, cover with foil and roast for about 15 minutes.

Remove the foil and stir through the rosemary.

Season the chicken thighs and arrange in the dish in a single layer.

Now roast for 30-50 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is crisp and cooked through (this will depend on the size of your potatoes and chicken thighs).

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

 

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This is one of our hearty dinners from the 5:2 diet we are on and it was very welcome this evening after getting in from the rain and cold. Full of flavour and filling despite the low calories!

Chicken, Red Onion and Mushroom Stew with Sherry and Butterbeans, serves 4

  • 6 Chicken thighs, skinned and boned then quartered
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 garlic clove, chopped
  • 2 red onions, cut into thick wedges
  • 200g chestnut mushrooms, thickly sliced
  • 100ml dry sherry
  • 400ml chicken stock
  • 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 400g tin butterbeans, drained and rinsed
  • small bunch parsley, chopped

Heat a little olive oil to a medium-high heat in a pan and add the chicken, browning until golden on all sides.

Add the paprika, garlic onions and mushrooms and cook until the onions and mushrooms have softened. This should take about 5 minutes.

Add the sherry and scrape the bottom of the pan for a second to deglaze, then add the chicken stock, tomatoes and butterbeans.

Bring to a boil then turn down and simmer for 15 minutes.

Serve with the parsley sprinkled over the top and some crusty bread if you like.

Wine suggestion: If you feel like a glass with this we’d suggest trying a red from Navarra, an under-rated region in Spain. The balance of juiciness and structure would work with the simple, smokey and rustic flavours of the dish.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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This dish has proved so delicious we’ve had it for dinner twice already this week and plan for another night with friends on Friday. Strictly speaking it isn’t as described as we substituted Pernod for Arak which was what we had to hand; you could also use Ouzo if you have some of this instead. The dish is bursting with flavour so some plain rice is all that’s needed on the side. Start ahead of time if you can so the chicken has time to marinate.

Roasted chicken with clementines & arak – to serve 4

  • 100ml Pernod (or arak or ouzo)
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp grainy mustard
  • 3 tbsp light brown sugar
  • 2 medium fennel bulbs
  • 1.3kg chicken thighs (with skin and bone in)
  • 4 clementines, unpeeled, sliced horizontally into ½cm slices
  • 1 tbsp thyme leaves
  • 2½ tsp fennel seeds, slightly crushe
  • salt and black pepper
  • chopped flat parsley, to garnish

Put the first six ingredients in a large bowl and add 2½ tsp of salt and 1½ tsp of black pepper. Whisk well.

Trim the fennel and cut each in half lengthways. Cut each half into 4 wedges. Add the fennel to the liquid, along with the chicken, clementine slices, thyme and fennel seeds. Combine with your hands then leave to marinate in the fridge for a few hours or overnight (or skip this stage if you don’t have the time).

Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C Fan/Gas Mark 7.

Transfer the chicken and marinade to a large oven-proof tray that can hold everything in a single layer; make sure the chicken skin is facing up.

Put the tray in the oven and roast for 35-45 minutes, or until the chicken is well browned and cooked through.

Remove the chicken, fennel and clementines from the tray and arrange on a serving plate; cover and keep warm. Pour the cooking liquids into a small pan, place on a medium-high heat, bring to a boil and simmer until reduced by a third – you should have about 80ml left. Pour the hot sauce over the chicken, garnish with some chopped parsley and serve with plain steamed rice.

Wine Suggestion: There’s lots of flavour going on in this dish so beware of going too neutral with the wine. A richer Vermentino from Sardinia would work well, where they have really mastered this grape.

(Original recipe from Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi, Ebury Press, 2012.)

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I’m sure we’ve already mentioned that we panic-buy skinless, boneless chicken thighs – though they do seem to be easier to get these days. Thighs are much tastier than chicken breasts and don’t have the same tendency to dry out.

After a relatively sunny day on Sunday we deicided to plan a barbecue for Monday. Jono ended up standing outside in the rain under a big umbrella – that’s summer in Ireland! Do try barbecuing lemon halves – it makes them super juicy and a bit milder, perfect squeezed over grilled meat or fish.

Teryyaki mustard chicken – to serve 4

  • 8 boneless chicken thigh fillets – the skin can be on or off
  • vegetable oil, for brushing
For the teriyaki sauce
  • 3 tbsp beer
  • 3 tbsp Japanese soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp caster sugar
  • 1 tsp mustard powder
  • lemon halves, for serving
Combine the teriyaki sauce ingredients in a small bowl and stir until the sugar dissolves.

Put the chicken in a flat, non-metallic dish and pour over the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for no more than 3 hours, turning now and again. Take it out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking.

Light the barbecue. Brush the grill with a little vegetable oil to stop the chicken sticking. Put the chicken thighs on the grill, reserving the marinade, and cook for about 5 minutes, turn and cook for another 3 minutes.

Start basting with the teriyaki sauce and turning every minute – for about 4 minutes or until the thighs start to look charred at the edges.

Check they are cooked through and remove them to a plate, cover and rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Serve with barbecued lemon halves to squeeze over.

(Original recipe by Ross Dobson for Sainsbury’s Magazine, August 2009)

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