Thigh Cuisine

With boneless chicken thighs now available in many markets, try substituting them in recipes that are usually made with chicken breasts. Though thighs take a little longer to cook, you’ll be impressed with the results.

Thighs are tender, succulent dark meat. Unlike breasts, they do not dry out quickly in the pan. If you happen to overcook them or keep them warm longer than you had planned, you’ll notice that they remain moist and their texture does not turn cottony. For the same reason, dishes made with this cut reheat well. Another good thing, they cost much less than breasts.

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They’re versatile--you can grill, stir-fry or saute them, or use them in stews and casseroles. Cut boneless thighs into cubes or strips and cook them gently in tomato, curry or peanut sauces. Or create new dishes by replacing beef in stews with chicken thighs to make lighter, fast-cooking dishes. Boneless chicken needs only 10 to 15 minutes of braising, compared with the 45 minutes required for chicken pieces with bones.

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To make satisfying pasta suppers, mix any of these speedy chicken stews or sautes with linguine, fettuccine, vermicelli or Chinese rice noodles. Other good accompaniments are brown or white rice, couscous, steamed potatoes, or baked or microwaved yams.

While the chicken is cooking, toss packaged lettuce or shredded cabbage or carrots with a little oil and vinegar to make a quick salad, and you’ll have a tasty, hearty meal with a minimum of time and effort.

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A friend of mine from Taipei taught me to make this light, easy, meal-in-one dish of chicken and vegetables seasoned with curry powder and soy sauce. A cross between a stir-fry and a quick braise, it would typically be served at home when a fast dinner is needed. For best flavor, use imported curry powder.

TAIPEI CHICKEN CURRY

3 medium carrots

3 medium boiling potatoes

1 pound boneless and skinless chicken thighs

2 tablespoons oil

1 large onion, diced small

2 teaspoons curry powder

1 1/2 cups water

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce

Hot cooked rice

Quarter carrots, then slice 1/4-inch thick. Peel potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Cut chicken into cubes of about 1x1/2x1/2 inches.

Heat oil in wok, medium saute pan or deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and stir-fry until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add chicken and stir-fry 1 1/2 minutes. Stir in curry powder. Add water, soy sauce, carrots and potatoes. Simmer, covered, 10 minutes.

Uncover and simmer until chicken and vegetables are tender, 5 to 10 minutes longer. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve with hot cooked rice. Makes 3 to 4 servings.

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For this quick dish, sauteed chicken and peppers are flavored with garlic, hot peppers and green onions, then tossed with tri-colored noodles. Use the three kinds of peppers to make the dish colorful.

PASTA-PEPPER MEDLEY WITH CHICKEN

1 pound boneless and skinless chicken thighs

3 sweet peppers, preferably 1 green, 1 red and 1 yellow

3 green onions

1 to 2 jalapeno chiles, seeded and ribs removed

4 medium cloves garlic

1/4 cup olive oil

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

1/2 pound tri-colored noodles

1 teaspoon dried leaf thyme, crumbled

Trim chicken of fat. Cut meat into 1 1/2x1/2x1/4-inch strips. Halve sweet peppers lengthwise and remove seeds and ribs. Cut into 1/4-inch strips. Quarter white and light-green parts of green onions lengthwise, then cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths. Chop jalapenos and garlic in food processor.

Heat 2 to 3 tablespoons oil in large heavy skillet. Add chicken. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Saute over medium-high heat, stirring often, until tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer to plate with slotted spoon. Heat remaining oil in skillet over low heat.

Add jalapeno-garlic mixture, sweet peppers and dash salt. Cook, stirring often, 6 minutes. Add green onions. Cook until vegetables are tender but not brown, 4 minutes. Add chicken and juices from plate.

Cook pasta, uncovered, in large pan of boiling, salted water over high heat until tender but firm to bite, 2 to 5 minutes. Drain and transfer to large heated bowl.

Reheat chicken mixture and stir in thyme. Add to pasta and toss. Adjust seasonings to taste. Makes 3 to 4 servings.