People who will happily eat chicken breast often turn their noses up at eating chicken thighs, possibly because they’re considered ‘dark meat’. Actually, chicken thighs tend to have a more intense flavor than breast and the meat stays juicy and tender during cooking.
It’s hard to overcook chicken thighs. If you use moist-heat cooking techniques like braising, chicken thighs will forgive you if you leave them in the oven too long. The worst that can happen is that if you go over your braising time, the meat will just fall off the bone.
Thighs have a good meat-to-bone ratio relative to other bone-in chicken parts, such as drumsticks and wings, which means they’re good value for money. Personally, give me a thigh any day, I love the dark meat. Strangely enough, for the many times I’ve made roulades, I’ve never thought to use chicken thighs.
Literally meaning ‘rolled’ in French, the word roulade signifies a lot of things. Traditionally, it’s a preparation reserved for boneless, skinless chicken breasts, stuffed with cheeses, vegetables, and other meats. This chicken thigh roulade for example is a great and easy way to jazz up some really simple ingredients.
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Stuffed Chicken Thigh Roulade
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Instructions
In a skillet, sauté onion & mushrooms until tender; remove from heat & cool.
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Arrange chicken thighs on a large sheet of foil paper, to form a large rectangle.
Mix shredded cheese & parsley into cooled mushroom/onion mixture. Sprinkle chicken with spices, salt & pepper.
Arrange stuffing along middle of the chicken rectangular, evenly distributing. Roll up, enclosing filling, using the foil to help you tighten the roll.
Carefully wrap roll with slices of bacon, securing with toothpicks if needed. Place foil with roulade centered on it on a deep baking sheet.
Bake 45 minutes. Chicken is done when juices run clear or internal temperature is 180 F. Allow to sit for 5 minutes, slice & serve.
The debate between chicken thighs and breast has been one that’s continued over generations. Juicy, inexpensive and highly versatile, chicken thighs are the unsung heroes of the protein realm. You can enjoy them baked, glazed or simply grilled.
In the flavor department, chicken thighs naturally have a more intense and flavorful edge to them. As for fat content … yes, there is more fat on a thigh than on a breast. However, the monounsaturated fat in chicken thighs can help aid in weight loss, control and reduce cholesterol numbers and even lower you risk of heart disease and cancer.
From an economical point of view, in our part of the world, chicken thighs are generally more affordable than breasts. Let’s face it, at the end of the day, both chicken breasts and thighs are good for you. It all comes down to personal choice.
This meal is good, homey, comfort food that’s easy to prepare using frozen puff pastry but elegant enough to serve at a holiday supper with friends.
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Bacon & Chicken En Croute
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Votes: 4
Rating: 4
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Instructions
Filling
In a skillet, cook bacon until just crisp, then remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain; chop when cooled. Remove all but 1 Tbsp of the bacon drippings from skillet.
Salt & pepper chicken thighs on both sides. Place in skillet with remaining hot bacon drippings & cook until browned. Remove & cut into bite-size pieces. Set aside on a plate.
Add butter to the skillet, cook onions, garlic & mushrooms, scraping up any brown bits, until the onions have softened & mushrooms have lost most of their size & moisture. Stir in the bacon & chicken thighs; taste for seasoning. Cook for another minute or two, then remove from heat & set aside to cool.
Gravy
In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat, then add the flour. Whisk until flour darkens & begins to thicken then add broth. Season with herbs, salt & pepper (to taste) & continue to whisk until gravy boils. Allow it to boil for 2 minutes, stirring often, until it thickens. Remove from heat & cool.
Assembly
Preheat oven to 375 F. At this point you can either make individual servings or bake as one long tart. Fit thawed puff pastry into tart pan or cut into 4 equal squares. You can roll the dough out on a floured surface to accommodate the size you need.
In a large bowl, combine cooled filling & gravy. Place evenly in pastry shell(s). Brush edges with beaten egg wash & bake for about 20 minutes until puffed & golden brown.
Over the years, Brion and I have made a couple of trips to Italy. On one such occasion our travels took us through the region known as Tuscany, where the past and present seem to merge in pleasant harmony. Famous for it’s bean production, cannellini (white kidney beans) are the most popular and are simply referred to as ‘fagioli’. Of course, white beans are cultivated in other areas of the country, but Tuscany seems to be their rightful home.
These large, creamy white beans have spread from the kitchens of Tuscany to become a favorite among the Italian people. Mild in flavor, they have a relatively thin skin and a traditional kidney shape. The beans are difficult to harvest when ripe, therefore are harvested in the fall when the pod is completely dry. As a result, they are rarely eaten fresh. Cannellini beans are available both dried and in canned form.
I started making this recipe for CHICKEN FAGIOLI STEW one winter and it’s continued to remain a favorite of ours.
While in the Tuscany region we visited the historic city of Florence. Being the home of renaissance art, perfect Italian gardens and magnificent sights, we came home with a lot of wonderful photos and memories. I hope you enjoy seeing some of them included in this post.
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Chicken Fagioli Stew
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Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
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Cut chicken thighs into quarters; combine with dressing in a small bowl. Marinate while preparing vegetables.
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In a medium skillet, saute onion & garlic for 2 minutes. Add chicken with dressing; saute another 5 minutes.
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Add celery, carrot, potato, broth, basil & tomato. Reduce heat; simmer, covered for 25-30 minutes until vegetables are tender. Stir in drained cannellini beans & simmer gently until beans are heated. Serve
