The Lowly Chicken Thigh in a Starring Role

Chicken thighs are the Fred Ward of the culinary world. You've seen 'em in everything but they never get to be the star. If they were in 5th grade P.E. they would be the effeminate, chubby kid with asthma and never get picked first. But why? Dark meat is more flavorful. The thighs have that massive hunk of skin that get crispier than anything else in a Popeye's Bonafide Family Meal and yet...they are passed over for the breast almost universally. What is this obsession with breasts that has grabbed hold of our nation. Has the trend for bigger breasts on everything from models to mommys really gone so far as to skew the popularity of chicken parts? I think so. Turkeys have been bred over time to have such large breasts that they can no longer mate naturally. The physics and the geometry don't work anymore.

To help turn the tide back to thigh-appreciation (and to save some serious money) I love to use chicken thighs in almost every recipe that calls for chicken. I remove the bones and use them as fillets and I love to cook them whole on the grill or in stews, soups and ragouts. Tonight, they went into a big pot of red sauce with some veggie and herb pals and ended up in a bowl over toasted polenta. If you want the recipe, just send me an email (info@ivyanddevine.com)

Bon Appetit!
~Tom