What to Cook with Chicken Thighs

1 One-Tray Roast Chicken Thighs

Dinner in one tray: bone-in thighs on top, potatoes and onions underneath, catching all the juice. Change the rub and you change the country.

Make it your way:

• Honey-soy & sesame: Soy, honey, garlic; sesame seeds to finish SOY SESAME
• Pollo a la brasa: Cumin, paprika, garlic, lime, a dash of soy SOY
• Jerk: Allspice, thyme, chilli, spring onion, lime
• Peri-peri: Chilli, paprika, garlic, lemon, a splash of vinegar SULPHITES
• Provençal: Just salt, pepper and herbes de Provence (or dried oregano and thyme). On the barbecue, sprinkle the herbs on while it cooks
• Cajun: Paprika, garlic and onion powder, thyme, cayenne

2 Sauté de Poulet

The French Sunday chicken, made on a weeknight: thighs browned skin-down, then simmered in wine and stock until tender. The sauce makes itself in the pan.

Make it your way:

• Chasseur: 250 g mushrooms with the shallots; 1 tbsp tomato paste
• Cacciatore: Red wine; 1 can tomatoes, capsicum, black olives
• Mustard & tarragon: 2 tbsp Dijon and 100 ml cream at step 5; tarragon
• Cream & green olives: 100 ml cream and pitted green olives at step 5
• Coq au vin-style: Red wine; 100 g bacon and small onions with the shallots

Full recipe in Book 2

3 The Chicken Curry Base

One curry base: onion cooked slowly, garlic, ginger, spices and tomato. Add the chicken and something creamy, and it becomes five different curries.

Make it your way:

• Butter chicken: Cream for the coconut; 30 g butter MILK
• Tikka masala: Yogurt-marinated chicken, grilled first MILK
• Thai red curry: Red curry paste; fish sauce FISH CRUSTACEAN
• Chicken & pea: Potato cubes; frozen peas at the end
• Chicken & peanut stew: Stock, peanut butter, sweet potato PEANUT
• Japanese curry: Curry powder, flour, grated apple WHEAT

Full recipe in Book 2

4 Chicken Stir-Fry

A stir-fry is a timing game: everything cut before the wok gets hot, the chicken seared first, the vegetables in fast, the sauce last. Ten minutes at the stove.

Make it your way:

• Satay: 3 tbsp peanut butter and 100 ml coconut milk in the sauce PEANUT
• Garlic & black pepper: No honey; 6 garlic cloves, 1 tsp cracked pepper, oyster sauce MOLLUSC
• Sweet & sour: Sauce: ketchup, vinegar, sugar; pineapple and capsicum
• General Tso-style: Chicken crisp-fried in cornflour; hoisin, chilli, vinegar
• Cashew chicken: Toasted cashews, onion, oyster sauce CASHEW MOLLUSC

Full recipe in Book 2

5 Crumbed Chicken

Flour, egg, crumbs: the three-bowl method behind the schnitzel, katsu, nuggets and the pub parmi. Thigh fillets stay much juicier than breast.

Make it your way:

• Chicken parmi: Topped with tomato sauce, ham, mozzarella; grilled 5 min MILK
• Katsu: Panko crumbs; sliced into strips
• Nuggets & goujons: Cut into strips before coating; oven-baked 15 min
• Crispy chicken burger: Brined thigh fillets (Chicken Essentials) SULPHITES
• Kiev-style: Rolled around garlic-parsley butter, coated twice; oven 25 min MILK
• Cordon bleu: Fillet filled with ham and cheese, then coated MILK

Full recipe in Book 2

6 Poached Chicken

Chicken poached gently with vegetables: tender meat to shred, and a stock for soups and sauces. One pot, five dinners.

Make it your way:

• Chicken noodle soup: Stock, meat, egg noodles WHEAT EGG
• Avgolemono: Stock, rice, meat; 2 eggs, 1 lemon EGG
• Chicken & leek pie: Leek-cream sauce, pastry lid MILK WHEAT
• Chicken mayo: Meat, mayo; chives, shallot or herbs EGG SULPHITES
• Vietnamese salad: Cabbage, mint; lime-fish sauce FISH
• Corn soup: Stock, meat, corn, bacon, cream MILK
• Confit-style duck: Duck legs, coloured first. The French way: slow-cooked mostly in duck fat (optional)

Full recipe in Book 2

7 One Thigh, Five Marinades

Yogurt is the best marinade there is: it tenderises, carries flavour and chars beautifully. Marinate in the morning, grill in 12 minutes on the grill, pan or barbecue.

Make it your way:

• Provençal brochette: No marinade: chicken or beef, onion and mixed capsicums, same size, alternated; salt, pepper, herbes de Provence on top while it cooks
• Shawarma: Cumin, coriander, cinnamon; sliced thin
• Souvlaki: No yogurt: oil, lemon, oregano, garlic
• Tandoori: Garam masala, chilli, ginger, a pinch of turmeric
• Yakitori-style: No yogurt: soy-mirin glaze SOY WHEAT SULPHITES
• Fajitas: No yogurt: lime, cumin, chilli; in strips

Full recipe in Book 2