what can I do with chicken thighs?

[mckenzie]

I'm gradually emptying out my freezer and I have some chicken thighs with the skin on left over from BBQ days in the summer.
Any idea of a half decent recipe please so that I can use them up, preferably suitable for my 4 year old DS and my 8 month old DD (who so far eats anything, spicy stuff included).

TIA

[ThomCat]

Wait there, i'll be back.

[moondog]

Ok

Fry up onios (slowly so they caramelize) and add some garlic and fresh ginger.
Cut your legs up with a cleaver into two pieces each. Add them and brown,throwing in a good pinch of five spice powder..

Put a good glug (eg 250 ml) of soy sauce (Kikkoman is the best,but don't pay outrageous supermarket prices for a tiny bottle-go to an Asian supermarket and buy a big one)in,also a smaller glug of sherry (sweet is fine)

Simmer for about 30 mins.

Serve with rice and steamed greens.

[mckenzie]

that sounds lovely moondog but won't the soy sauce be too salty for DD (8 months)? Health wise rather than taste wise I mean.

[moondog]

Well you wouldn't have to put much on the rice.Just scoop out the chicken and give him that..
I add a little water often to thin the sauce out a bit..

[Shazzler]

Rosemary and Garlic Chicken

8 thighs, skin on
1tbsp seasoned flour
1 head garlic
3 large stalks rosemary
300ml/1/2 pint dry white wine

1. Wipe chicken with kitchen paper, cut off excess skin, toss thighs in flour. Seperate garlic into cloves (no need to peel)
   
   
2. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in large pan until searingly hot, add chicken skin side down and fry without moving until skin is crisp and browned. Turn chicken over and brown on all sides (you may need to do this in batches). Add garlic and rosemary, then pour in the wine and season with salt and pepper. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered for 40-45 minutes, until chicken is tender and sauce is thickened. You can pop each clove of garlic out and mash into sauce if you want.
   
   Serve with rice or pasta or whatever you fancy!
   
   It sounds like a lot of garlic but it is lovely and because the garlic has been cooked for so long it is not strong.

[Shazzler]

Just realised you wanted it for young children so don't know what you would think of the alcohol!

[CarolinaMoon]

alcohol will all evaporate during cooking. Sounds delicious!

[moondog]

It will boil away and be fine shazzler.

[Shazzler]

It is lovely and my kids both eat it. They love "chicken on the bone" as they call it.

[NannyL]

last week i just raosted them, then took the meat off and added it to pasta sauce!

they loved it!

[JoolsToo]

I was going to say body brush

[mckenzie]

sounds good Shazzler. If I cant get fresh rosemary tomorrow any idea how much dried i should use?

[moondog]

It's practically the same thing fresh or dried,so I'd use a little less. Rosemary can be pretty overpowering stuff so err on the side of caution.

[Shazzler]

I just looked on a jar of rosemary and it says 1/2 - 1 tsp for 4 servings. Does that help?

[ThomCat]

Chicken Thighs Normandy

Put leeks, bacon, carrots (steam them a bit 1st), & mushrooms & loads of crushed garlic in a roasting pan. Pout cider or white wine over it all (about 350ml), put chicken on top, chuck on a bit of thyme & season.
Bake for 25 mins. Remove all chick & veg & keep warm in over.
Put the roasting pan on hob and boil till juices reduced by 1/2. Stir in about 125ml of sour cream & gently heat.
Pour sauce onto plates, arrange chicken & veg on top and enjoy!

[ThomCat]

Ahhh, i've just seen that it's for kids as well, sorry.

[hotmama1]

I use chicken thighs when I make Coq au Vin - use red wine but cooking evaporates the alcohol anyway. I always have some chicken thighs in the freezer as the meat is tastier than breasts. I use chicken thighs in recipes if I have ran out of chicken breasts.

[mckenzie]

that sounds delicious thomcat and by a huge coincidence, I have leeks, bacon, carrots and sour cream in the fridge! And a bottle of white wine on the rack, It's obviously meant to be that I make Chiceken thighs normandy.
DS is always ravenous after school and will eat pretty much anything and DD seems to just want to eat what everyone else is eating so it should be fine.
I cant eat mushrooms but should be okay without them huh?

[ThomCat]

how perfect. The alcohol will be non existent by the time it's been in the oven fopr 2 mins and then reduced on the hob anyway.
Absolutley no need for mushrooms. bung in or leave out anything in the veg dept.
Fabulous

[ThomCat]

That should be in the oven for 25mins, not 2!
And it is really delicious, I promise you that.

[mckenzie]

hey thomcat, you didn't realise huh that i am a complete nitwit in the kitchen. How many carrots/leeks should I have used? How much bacon? what temperature should I have the oven on?
I'm winging it at the moment and hoping for the best!

[cod]

Message withdrawn

[mckenzie]

thanks Cod but too late now. This concoction is in the oven but just now sure how good it's going to be, being done the mckenzie way!

[ThomCat]

I think winging it is fine, bet it's lovely, let me know.

[mckenzie]

it was lovely Thomcat, just as you said. DD ate 2 bowls and DS nearly licked his plate clean (I did it with couscous).
And there's enough left over for DD and me for lunch tomorrow. 10 out of 10. thank you.