Chicken Thighs Discovered

TO MY DELIGHT, I'VE DISCOVERED the great flavor of chicken thighs this summer after a package of two skinless boneless breasts hit $10 at the supermarket. I thought, wait a minute, there must be other ways to deal with this sticker shock and still enjoy chicken. Being frugal is in my nature - an attribute that has returned to my life out of necessity and has given me the culinary incentive to experiment with less expensive cuts of chicken.

That is exactly what I’ve done.

I conducted some research asking that exact question, unearthing an array of chefs from across the land who favored dark meat chicken represented in thighs and drumsticks, at a considerably lower price with a flavor boost to boot.

The news kept improving as I read various accounts.

I’ve been experimenting with skinless, boneless, skin-on, and bone-in variations of thighs since the sticker shock sent me in this new direction. As of this post, I’m leaning toward the skinless/boneless thighs for ease of preparation. I enjoy using skin for flavoring soup stocks, which can be utilized this fall and winter, so stay tuned; there will be further updates.

Chicken Parmesan and Chicken Piccata are two of my all-time favorite meals. Traditionally, I made them with pounded and halved chicken breasts. It helped tenderize the chicken and reduced cooking time. I even let the breasts brine in a baking soda and salt bath for half an hour before coating them in flour + Parmesan, egg, and panko. I then pan-fried the chicken for 5 to 6 minutes on each side (fully cooked to 165°F) and set these fried, breaded cutlets aside for the next steps in the two different recipes.

Chicken Piccata

After removing the fried breaded cutlets and placing them on paper towels, I deglazed the pan with ½ cup of Pinot Gris or Chardonnay, added lemon juice from half a lemon, 3 TBS of butter, chopped fresh parsley, and about thirty non-pareil capers. After a three-minute light boil, I spooned the reduced sauce over the chicken cutlets and served them with a side of mashed potatoes and green beans. Simply delicious. Truly one of my favorite meals.

Chicken Parmesan

After removing the fried breaded cutlets, place them in a baking dish and cover them in Marinara sauce (RAO’s or Mid’s) and top them with shredded Italian cheeses and bake/broil them in a toaster oven until the cheeses are melted (5 minutes). With this creation, I would serve a side of buttered spaghetti (angel hair) to accompany the Chicken Parmesan. A mixed lettuce salad with a quick lemon-mustard vinaigrette works well as a side.

Dark Meat Thigh Approach

As mentioned, I have been using boneless, skinless thighs and found that chefs prefer to cook them to an internal temperature of 175°F for the most tender result. The chefs also advised against pounding the thighs as one does with breasts. After preparing the boneless skinless thigh with the flour-Parmesan-egg-panko method, skillet fry the thighs for three minutes on each side over medium heat to start browning, then transfer them to a baking dish and bake in a 400°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes until they reach the new recommended internal temperature of 175°F for dark meat. This involves a two-step process: pan searing followed by baking in a suitable oven dish.

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The baking of the thighs allows me ample time to prepare the sides for these delicious dinners that are enhanced by the dark meat's extra flavor boost. The pan sauce is added to the baked thighs for the Chicken Piccata as the plate is served. Marinara and the cheese toppings can be placed on the coated thighs during the last 5 to 10 minutes in the oven, then plated with a side of angel hair pasta, mixing in the tomato sauce from the Chicken Parmesan recipe. Fresh basil strips and chopped tomatoes make a nice finishing touch.

The above photo shows the baking dish with three thighs underneath the marinara, pasta, and Italian cheeses.

Enjoy!