- Pan Fried Chicken Thigh (skin on):
1) Figure out how many people you will be serving
a-- (1-2 Thighs per person depending on how hearty a meal you want)
b-- (1/2cup to 1 cup of mint rice per person)
2) Fix your dry ingredients:
Ingredient List:
:: I usually use a mixture of basil, sage, thyme, and rosemary of sorta random amounts each time I make it, so just go with whatever looks right
:: Onion Powder, Garlic Powder - about 1/4 teaspoon per Thigh is a good ratio to go with
:: Cumin - gives a slightly earthy flavor and will make any spices you add in on your own (cayenne pepper for instance) work better with the meal
:: any other spices you have an affinity for
a) Crush and mix all of these ingredients in a small bowl until they look decently mixed together.
b) Stuff an equal amount under the skin of the chicken thighs
c) any leftover spices just stuff into or coat the skin of the thigh with it
d) set aside temporarily so you can get everything else started up
3) Heat a pan up on the stovetop that has at least a one inch depth (preferably 2 inch depth). Make sure you have a lid for it
a) melt some butter in the pan and then pour in some oil once the butter is mostly or fully melted
b) let the oil heat up to a good temperature
c) put thighs into pan skin-side down. If they don't immediately start to sizzle then the oil isn't hot enough
d) press thighs down into pan and then let sit uncovered for 5-8 minutes while you get started on the rice
4) RICE! You will need a microwave for this since I have never cooked rice w/ this meal on the stovetop
a) Rice: you will need half as much dry rice as you would have totalled for servings (1 cup dry = 2 cups cooked)
b) You will need 1 cup of water per half cup of dry rice you are cooking.
c) As this is mint rice you will need either crushed garden mint or fresh mint, either of which you can get from the store. I use a tablespoon of mint per 1.5 cups of uncooked rice
d) Mix all of these into a microwave safe container and stick it into the microwave.
That will take about 20 minutes to cook and we will be just about done by the time that finishes
5)Back to the chicken temporarily
a) check to make sure that the skins on the thighs are at least a little crispy (really one of the best parts IMO). If they are all crispy then go ahead and flip them over so the skin is facing upward. Otherwise wait a few minutes and check again, then flip.
b) We can now let the thighs sit for another few minutes to fry up a little on their bottom sides.
6) I use this opportunity to gather up the ingredients for my fruit cup
Ingredients: Candied dates, 1 apple, 1 can of pineapple slices (you can use fresh pineapple if you like but I like to use the juice from the can as well), and a few sun-dried tomatoes.
Spices: you will want to have sugar on hand to make part of a light syrup, and also a small amount of cinnamon for extra flavoring
a) once you have these gathered you will be going back to deal with the chicken again, but grab a clean cutting board and bowl before you do.
7) Back to the chicken, Again!
a) The thighs should now be nearly cooked through depending on how hot your oil is. Now comes the best part of the dish!
b) You will need two things for this to work right: A good red wine and a stick of butter
c) Cut tabs of butter off of the stick and put one each onto the tops of the thighs, onto the skins. It doesn't matter if they fall off but they should melt a little while on top to make it better.
d) Pour a small amount (maybe 1 to 1.5 oz) of wine onto the skin of each thigh.
e) Now, use the lid for the pan and cover everything up!
f) make sure you reduce the heat to Medium-Low or Medium
On to the fruit cup again!
a) Cut up the pineapple and apple into small 1/4 inch chunks
b) Cut the sun-dried tomato into thin 1/2 - 3/4 inch slices
c) Mince the candied dates a little so they are in smaller chunks then they come in.
d) put into a bowl with some of the pineapple juice (it will look weird but trust me it's tasty)
e) Get a deep soup pot that can hold about 2x as much as you have fruit-cup supplies.
f) Put that onto the stove on high heat and add water halfway and about 1.5 - 2 cups of sugar.
g) Let that almost start to boil then add your fruit-cup supplies, and some cinnamon (sticks or powder it doesn't matter)
h) Bring that to a slight boil and cover with a lid. Check frequently and reduce heat as the color becomes darker, stir whenever you check it also!
9) Check on the chicken
a) remove lid carefully so you don't get scalded by wine filled steam
b) remove one thigh and use a thermometer to check the temperature.
--(Mine are usually done by now or nearly done which should coincide with the Rice finishing its cooking)
c) If the chicken is at proper temperature then turn the temperature on the stovetop to Warm/Low and get your plate(s) ready to be dished up
Plating:
The ideal way to plate the dish is to get the rice onto the plate first and then place a thigh skin side up onto the rice. The mint from the rice will mix nicely with the tasty chicken and wine scents. Get a small cup (coffee/tea-cups with wide mouths are useful for this) and spoon equal parts liquid and fruit into it to make the fruitcup.
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Topic: I'm learning to cook, speak French, draw efficiently, and lose weight! (Read 1624 times)