Eye for a Recipe

This delicious recipe from thekitchn.com turns economical chicken thighs into a dinner party-worthy entrée. Brown the chicken thighs, top with a balsamic, Dijon, honey, garlic and sage glaze, sprinkle with some fresh figs and roast. I used dried figs instead of fresh and they worked well.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Look for a balsamic vinegar with only naturally occurring sulfites and a Dijon with no additives or preservatives. I use Spectrum Organic balsamic vinegar and President’s Choice Old-Fashioned Dijon.

Brown chicken thighs in oven-safe pan

Top with balsamic, Dijon, honey, garlic and sage glaze and add figs

Balsamic and mustard-glazed chicken with figs

Ingredients:

½ cup (125 ml) balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons (30 ml) Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil, divided

1 tablespoon (15 ml) honey

1 tablespoon (15 ml) coarsely chopped fresh sage leaves

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 pounds (900 g) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (4 to 6)

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

8 fresh figs, halved or quartered if large

Preparation:

Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 350°F (176°C).

To make the glaze, whisk the vinegar, mustard, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of olive oil, honey, sage, and garlic together in a small bowl; set aside.

Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels and season on both sides with salt and pepper.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of olive oil in a large cast iron or oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat until the oil is shimmering but not smoking. Add the chicken skin-side down and cook until the fat is rendered and the skin is crisp and golden-brown, adjusting the heat if the skin begins to burn, 6 to 8 minutes.

Flip the chicken thighs and scatter the figs around them. Carefully pour the glaze evenly over the chicken and figs. Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook, spooning some of the glaze in the skillet back over the chicken halfway through, until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C), 10 to 12 minutes total. Serve the chicken with the sauce. Serves 4-6.

From thekitchn.com

This recipe from Food and Wine calls for marinated artichoke hearts and meaty green olives. After browning the chicken thighs, transfer to a baking dish and scatter artichoke hearts, olives, garlic, lemon slices and thyme on top. Bake and serve!

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Look for artichoke hearts and olives that are preservative-free. I use Imagine brand stock and Cock brand fish sauce.

Olives, lemon, garlic and marinated artichoke hearts flavour this dish

Flatten chicken and brown, skin side down

Place chicken in baking dish and scatter other ingredients on top

Braised chicken thighs with marinated artichoke hearts

Ingredients:

8 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (3 ¾ pounds/1.7 kg)

Sea salt and pepper

1 tablespoon (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

15 ounces (425 g) marinated artichoke hearts, plus ¼ cup (60 ml) brine from the jar

1 cup (250 ml) green olives

1 head of garlic, halved crosswise

1 lemon, thinly sliced

6 thyme sprigs

1 cup (250 ml) chicken stock or low-sodium broth

½ cup (125 ml) semidry sherry, such as amontillado

1 tablespoon (15 ml) Asian fish sauce

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 375° F (190° C). Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. In a large cast-iron skillet or black steel pan, heat the oil. Add half of the chicken skin side down and top the pieces (not the pan) with a pot lid; cook over moderate heat until browned and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer skin side up to a large baking dish. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Scatter the artichoke hearts, olives, garlic, lemon slices and thyme in the baking dish.

Pour off the fat from the skillet. Add the artichoke brine, stock, sherry and fish sauce; bring to a boil. Stir in 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of salt, then pour the mixture around the chicken. Cover tightly with foil and braise in the oven for 1 hour, until the chicken is very tender.

Uncover and increase the oven temperature to 400° F (204° C) Roast the chicken for 15 minutes longer, until the skin is crisp.

Discard the thyme. Transfer to plates and serve. Serves 4-6.

From Food and Wine

Our dear friend and neighbour Denyse sent me this recipe from the New York Times last summer, and we recently all sat down together to enjoy it. The ingredient list is long, but the results are worth it. The preparation is in two parts, as the chicken is marinated in spiced yogurt for several hours. I served the chicken with basmati rice and Indian-spiced vegetables.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Look for yogurt, butter, canola oil and tomato paste without additives and use fresh lemon juice. Check the spices to be sure they don’t contain colour or anti-caking agents. I use Imagine brand chicken stock.

You can marinate the chicken for up to 24 hours

Simmer for 30 minutes

Butter Chicken with rice and Indian-spiced vegetables

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups (375 ml) full-fat Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons (30 ml) lemon juice

1 ½ tablespoons (25 ml) ground turmeric

2 tablespoons (30 ml) garam masala

2 tablespoons (30 ml) ground cumin

3 pounds (1.5 kg) chicken thighs, on the bone

¼ pound (125 g) unsalted butter

4 teaspoons (20 ml) neutral oil, like vegetable or canola oil

2 medium-size yellow onions, peeled and diced

4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

3 tablespoons (45 ml) fresh ginger, peeled and grated or finely diced

1 tablespoon (15 ml) cumin seeds

1 cinnamon stick

2 medium-size tomatoes, diced

2 red chiles, like Anaheim, or 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced

Kosher salt to taste

2/3 cup (150 ml) chicken stock, low-sodium or homemade

1 ½ cups (375 ml) cream

1 ½ teaspoons (7 ml) tomato paste

3 tablespoons (45 ml) ground almonds, or finely chopped almonds

½ bunch cilantro leaves, stems removed.

Preparation:

Whisk together the yogurt, lemon juice, turmeric, garam masala and cumin in a large bowl. Put the chicken in, and coat with the marinade. Cover, and refrigerate (for up to a day).

In a large pan over medium heat, melt the butter in the oil until it starts to foam. Add the onions, and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent. Add the garlic, ginger and cumin seeds, and cook until the onions start to brown.

Add the cinnamon stick, tomatoes, chiles and salt, and cook until the chiles are soft, about 10 minutes.

Add the chicken and marinade to the pan, and cook for 5 minutes, then add the chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for approximately 30 minutes.

Stir in the cream and tomato paste, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

Add the almonds, cook for an additional 5 minutes and remove from the heat. Garnish with the cilantro leaves. Serves 6.

From the New York Times

Lucy Waverman recently published this recipe from Estonia in the Globe and Mail. She described it as a “powerful, full-flavoured but not spicy dish with the taste of the sun that we sorely need at this time of the year.” Estonia is in the Baltic region of northern Europe and Tallinn is its capital city. You can make this dish ahead, and serve it with rice or egg noodles. However to be truly Estonian, Lucy says to serve it with black rye bread.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Make sure your spices do not contain colour or anti-caking agents. I used nitrite-free bacon instead of pancetta and a red wine with a sulfite count of less than 10 parts per million. Unico tomatoes and Pilaros olives are additive-free.

Season the chicken thighs

Use only the white and pale green part of the leeks

Brown the chicken well and set aside

Bacon and parboiled garlic add flavour

Saute the bacon and vegetables

Add spinach and chicken and then bake

Chicken from Tallinn

Ingredients:

1 head garlic, separated into cloves

1 ½  lb (750 g) boneless skinless chicken thighs

½ tsp (2.5 ml) ground fennel

½ tsp (2.5 ml) chili flakes

1 tbsp (15 ml) finely chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tsp dried

Salt and pepper to taste

½ cup (125 ml) coarsely chopped pancetta

3 tbsp (45 ml) olive oil

4 leeks, white and light green parts only, well washed

½ cup (125 ml) red wine

1 ½ cups (375 ml) drained canned tomatoes, chopped

1 cup (250 ml) chicken stock

½ cup (125 ml) Kalamata olives, pitted, halved

1 tbsp finely chopped preserved lemon or 1 tsp grated lemon zest

4 cups (1 L) packed baby spinach

4 caper berries

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 F (205 C).

Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Remove root end from garlic cloves and add to water. Boil for 2 minutes. Drain and peel garlic cloves. Reserve.

Cut thighs in half. Sprinkle with fennel, chili flakes, rosemary, salt and pepper. Slice leeks on a diagonal into ½-inch (1.27 cm) pieces.

Heat oil in a large oven-proof skillet over high heat. Brown chicken in batches, about 2 minutes per side. Remove to a plate and reserve.

Add pancetta to pan and cook for 1 minute. Reduce skillet heat to medium-low. Add garlic cloves and leeks, and sauté 5 to 7 minutes or until soft. Add red wine and bring to boil, reduce by half. Add tomatoes and stock, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add olives and preserved lemon and season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in spinach. Return chicken to skillet.

Transfer to oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink in centre. Sprinkle with parsley. Top each portion with a caper berry. Serves 4.

From Lucy Waverman

Recipes usually suggest marinating chicken before grilling, but this recipe from Martha Stewart Living suggests coating the chicken with a marinade afterwards. It’s quick, easy and tastes great. Any mixture of herbs would work well. You can also use skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Use freshly squeezed lemon juice, as the concentrates contain sodium benzoate.

Place marinade ingredients in shallow dish

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper

Grill the chicken until crispy and cooked through

Toss the grilled chicken with the marinade and serve

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large clove garlic, minced

1 cup lightly packed mixed fresh herbs, such as parsley, cilantro, dill, mint, and chervil, finely chopped

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1 3/4 pounds), pounded to make even (optional)

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Preparation:

Preheat grill to medium-high. Combine lemon juice, oil, garlic, and herbs in a baking dish.

Season chicken with salt and pepper and grill, turning frequently, until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer to baking dish and turn to coat with marinade. Serve immediately, or refrigerate chicken in marinade up to 1 day, turning to coat a few times. Serves 6.

From Martha Stewart Living

Skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs are among my favourite things to make for dinner, because they are inexpensive, tasty and easy to cook. In this recipe from the May 2014 issue of Bon Appetit, the thighs are marinated in a mixture of garlic, lime juice, soy sauce, honey and aniseed for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. Then just pop them in the oven. Halfway through the cooking time (about 20 minutes after putting the thighs in the oven) add asparagus and scallions. The chicken will caramelize into a lovely deep brown colour. Garnish the finished dish with cilantro and lime wedges. The recipe calls for aniseed but I used fennel seed and it worked well.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Use freshly squeezed lime juice and tamari instead of soy sauce, as it is preserved with alcohol instead of sodium benzoate.

Marinate the chicken thighs

Add asparagus and scallions when chicken is partially cooked

The thighs will caramelize

Soy-glazed chicken thighs with asparagus and scallions

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons aniseed

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

¼ cup fresh lime juice, plus wedges for serving

¼ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons honey

8 chicken thighs (about 4 lb.)

1 bunch asparagus (about ¾ lb.), trimmed

2 bunches scallions, trimmed

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ cup fresh cilantro leaves with tender stems

Preparation:

Toast aniseed in a small dry skillet over medium heat, tossing, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Let cool; finely chop.

Whisk garlic, lime juice, soy sauce, honey, and aniseed in a large bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat. Let sit at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450°. Transfer chicken and marinade to a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet, placing chicken skin side down. Roast until fat begins to render, 15–20 minutes. Turn chicken skin side up and continue to roast, basting occasionally with pan drippings, until chicken is cooked through and deeply browned, 15–20 minutes longer.

After turning chicken, toss asparagus and scallions with oil on another rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Roast, shaking pan halfway through, until tender, 10–15 minutes (thinner stalks will cook more quickly).

Transfer chicken to a platter. Pour any pan juices into a glass measuring cup. Let sit a few minutes, then spoon off fat from surface.

Spoon pan juices over chicken and serve with asparagus, scallions, cilantro, and lime wedges. Serves 4. Do ahead: Chicken can be marinated 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

From the May 2014 issue of Bon Appetit

This is a very simple recipe for chicken thighs, but it yields delicious results. At least four hours before starting to cook, marinate the thighs in oil, garlic, coriander and cumin seeds, lemon zest, salt and pepper. When you are ready to cook, sear the thighs, skin side down, in a cast iron skillet, turn them, and finish roasting in the oven. Indian potatoes, peas and cauliflower are an excellent accompaniment.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Make sure the spices do not contain colour and always used freshly squeezed lemon juice, as the concentrates are bitter and contain sodium benzoate.

Marinate the chicken for at least four hours

Sear the thighs skin side down

Turn the thighs and then roast until cooked through

Spiced chicken thighs

Ingredients:

¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil

5 garlic cloves, smashed

1½ tablespoons (25 ml) coriander seeds

1 tablespoon (15 ml) cumin seeds

1 teaspoon (5 ml) grated lemon zest

Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice

Eight 6-ounce (170 g) bone-in chicken thighs with skin

Preparation:

In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil with the garlic, coriander and cumin seeds, lemon zest, 1½ teaspoons (7 ml) of salt and ¾ teaspoon (3 ml) of pepper. Add the chicken and turn to coat, then cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 450° F (220° C). Heat a cast-iron skillet. Turn the chicken in the marinade and scrape off any solids; add to the skillet skin side down. Cook over moderately high heat until the skin is golden brown. Turn the chicken; transfer to the oven and roast for 15 minutes, until the juices run clear. Remove from the oven and drizzle with the lemon juice.

From Food and Wine