Roasted Chicken Thighs with Sweet-and -Sour Onions

Gift giving is an art. It is an act of stepping outside your own likes and desires to consider the needs, or wants of another. When done properly, there is joy for the giver as well as the receiver.




Recipe books are always a winner for me. Each time I pull the book off the shelf, good memories of a dear friend come with it. This one appeared at my door quite unexpectedly, and is not only a hysterical parody of the book series, but also has some very good recipes. All commentary is from the perspective of the chicken, which seems very inclined toward the various "treatments" it experiences.

Tonight's draw from the book came under the heading "Dripping Thighs". But first lets talk corn.

I make a lot of corn in the summer. It is so versatile, and there are a million ways to prepare it. My current favorite is the crab boil approach. Into boiling water I throw a combination of herbs and seasonings and let them steep. Sometimes I go cilantro, jalapeño, lime, palm sugar and garlic - quite flavorful. Tonight I used dill, pickled garlic and a bit of brown sugar. The result was fresh summer corn with a lovely undertone of dill. This is a great way to use up extra herbs, and the flavors never overpower the corn.

Ok, back to dripping thighs. This is quite a simple recipe, with a high flavor return.





1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs - pat them dry with paper towels
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 tspn + a pinch coarse salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Onions: (personally, I would double this part - the onions make the dish)

1 sweet onion thinly sliced
1 C white wine ( the good stuff - you will taste it)
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
1 Tbsn honey
2 Tbsn unsalted butter

1. Preheat oven to 450. In a large bowl toss the chicken with the garlic, 1 tspn salt and the pepper.

2. In a small saucepan, simmer the onion, wine, bay leaf, cinnamon stick and a pinch of salt until most of liquid is evaporated - about 20 min. Mix in honey and butter.

3. Spoon the mixture over the chicken and toss well. Spread the thighs :-) onion mixture, and any juices on a rimmed baking sheet ( I think a cast iron skillet might actually be better). Bake until the chicken is no longer pink and the onions are tender - at least 25 minutes. ( I ended up finishing it in the broiler to get it browner).

Enjoy.



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Location:Rockville, MD