We wanted the moist, flavorful, well-rendered meat of braised chicken thighs, but we wanted crispy skin, too. Our hybrid cooking method helped us achieve all our goals. Gently simmering the thighs in a potent mixture of soy sauce, sherry, ginger, and garlic to an internal temperature of 195 degrees renders the fat, melts the tough connective tissues into rich gelatin, and boosts the flavor. A brief flash under the broiler crisps the skin and gives it a rich mahogany color.
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Preheat: 300° | Yield: 4-8 servings | |
Prep: 0:00 | Wait: 0:00 | Cook: 1:00 |
The second try definitely worked out better. While my plan had been to use low-sodium soy sauce, on my way home from the supermarket I realized that I had forgotten to buy it. So I reduced the soy sauce (and therefore the saltiness) by 1/3 cup. The flavors were much more robust when not masked by the extreme saltiness of my first attempt. Also, I broiled the chicken for just 2 minutes (in Step 8) until the chicken was lightly browned. Even though the chicken was far from the broiler element, it is still amazing how fast this 195-degree chicken will crisp up. This attempt earns a solid 4-stars; flavorful and balanced, easy to make.
BTW – Chris Kimball recommends serving this with steamed rice, but because my son had a friend over who loves potatoes, I served it with mashed potatoes. The kids gave the recipe as high as 4-1/2 stars.
https://myyearwithchris.wordpress.com/2014/09/16/mahogany-chicken-thighs-part-2/