Staff Writer| The Columbus Dispatch
Most health-conscious cooks focus on boneless, skinless chicken breasts. It makes sense. This ubiquitous piece of the bird is convenient, versatile and virtually fat-free.
But there are other - and often overlooked - options on the same bird. The more flavorful and just as convenient boneless, skinless thigh should be near the top of your shopping list. Here's why:
While it's true that the humble thigh is fattier than the breast - about 7 grams per 3-ounce cooked portion - that fat brings with it the extra flavor and moisture breasts can so often lack. Plus, the dark meat of the thigh contains the nutritional jackpot of considerably more iron and twice the zinc of white meat.
That extra fat also means that it's harder to ruin a chicken thigh recipe, even with quick, high-heat cooking. Unlike with chicken breasts, it's difficult to end up with a flavorless, overcooked, shoe-leather-dry chicken thigh.
Boneless, skinless thighs are just as convenient as breasts (although you might want to trim off any extra bits of fat) but take just a little bit longer to cook, which makes them well-suited to absorb plenty of smokiness on the grill or flavor from a sauce during a stove-top braising.
This recipe for Stout-Braised Chicken Thighs, which is perfect for St. Patrick's Day, combines two techniques: flash-browning over high heat and a quick low-heat braising. By switching around the sauce ingredients, you can turn this method for cooking thighs into an endless variety of dishes
The recipe calls for 3/4 cup of a stout beer such as Guinness (you can drink the rest while the thighs are braising) and just a single strip of chopped bacon to make a smoky, malty sauce that's nicely balanced by the sweetness of peas, carrots and onions plus the earthiness of a handful of mushrooms.
Serve with mashed potatoes to help soak up all the dark and flavorful sauce.
STOUT-BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS
Makes 4 servings
- 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more to taste
- 11/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 slice bacon, finely chopped
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 3/4 cup baby carrots
- 4 ounces button, crimini or baby bella mushrooms, halved
- 3/4 cup stout, such as Guinness
- 3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 3/4 cup frozen baby peas
In a shallow dish, combine 1/4 cup of the flour with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and black pepper. Dredge the chicken thighs in the flour mixture to coat completely.
In a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high, heat the olive oil. Add the chicken thighs and cook until well-browned, 3 to 4 minutes a side. Transfer to a plate.
Add the bacon to the skillet and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Add the onion, carrots and mushrooms and saute until the vegetables begin to brown, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining 3tablespoons flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring constantly, for another 2 minutes.
Add the stout and broth to the pan and bring to a boil, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the thighs to the pan, nestling them among the vegetables. Reduce the heat until the liquid is gently simmering, then cover and cook for 15 minutes.
Add the peas and cook, covered, for 5 minutes more. Uncover the pan and simmer for 5 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper and serve the chicken with vegetables and sauce spooned over the top.
PER SERVING: 409 calories; 31 g protein; 21 g carbohydrates; 2 g fiber; 20 g fat (5 g saturated); 98 mg cholesterol; 397 mg sodium
