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This past Wednesday’s NY Times had a Minimalist article on dark meat, in particular chicken legs and thighs. Yes, it’s fattier than white meat from the breast, but not nearly as fatty as red meat and so on.

Here are a few recipes from the article to try out later:

Recipe: Spicy Roasted Chicken Thighs

Time: 45 minutes

8 chicken thighs, with skin, pierced all over with a small knife
5 cloves garlic, peeled
1 2-inch piece fresh ginger root, peeled
1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded, or cayenne to taste
Juice and zest of 1 whole lemon
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon coriander seeds or ground coriander.

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Put chicken thighs in a bowl. Mince garlic, ginger and pepper. Toss with all remaining ingredients or put in a small food processor, and grind to a paste. (It is O.K. if the coriander seeds are not fully pulverized. They will add a little crunch.)

2. Rub mixture thoroughly into chicken. At this point, you can cover, and refrigerate for up to a day.

3. Put thighs, skin side up, in a roasting pan. Roast for 25 to 35 minutes or until done.

Yield: 4 servings.

Recipe: Chicken Kebab, Turkish Style

Time: 45 minutes

2 large onions, peeled
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Juice of a lemon
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
3 bay leaves, crumbled
1 tablespoon fresh marjoram or oregano leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken thighs or legs, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
Lemon wedges or ground sumac (available in Middle Eastern stores).

1. Start a charcoal or wood fire or heat a gas grill. The fire should be moderately hot and the rack about 4 inches from the heat source. Mince one onion, and combine it in a large bowl with oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, bay leaves and marjoram or oregano. Taste, and adjust seasoning. Marinate chicken in this mixture for at least a few minutes or overnight in refrigerator.

2. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water to cover for a few minutes. Cut remaining onion into quarters, then separate it into large pieces. Thread chicken and onion alternately onto skewers, leaving a little space between pieces.

3. Grill, turning as each side browns, and brushing with remaining marinade, for about 12 to 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Serve with lemon wedges or sprinkle with a bit of sumac.

Yield: 4 servings.

Recipe: Baked Mustard-Herb Chicken Legs

Time: About 45 minutes

4 leg-thigh chicken pieces, cut in 2, or 8 thighs
1 1/2 cups coarse fresh bread crumbs
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon or other herb
Salt and pepper to taste
6 tablespoons Dijon mustard.

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Trim excess skin and fat from chicken. Combine bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, tarragon and salt and pepper on a plate or waxed paper. Use a pastry brush to paint mustard lightly on chicken legs. Carefully coat chicken legs with bread crumb mixture.

2. Gently place chicken in a roasting pan and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until completely cooked. Serve hot or cold.

Yield: 4 servings.

Posted on Saturday, July 17th, 2004 at 12:14 pm and is filed under Food. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.