This is a chicken dish supposedly so delicious that Naomi Pomeroy served it on her wedding day, so the Accidental Locavore had to give it a try. It’s a pretty simple dish and I made it easier by eliminating a lot of chopping. It does need time to marinate, so plan ahead. Serves 4 if everyone gets two pieces. I had some surprisingly huge thighs, so one apiece was plenty.
- 10 garlic cloves
- 4 serrano chiles, with seeds, quartered
- 3½” piece ginger, coarsely chopped (peeled if you like)
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 lemons, sliced, plus wedges for serving
- 6 sprigs thyme
- 8 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (about 3½ lbs.)
Put the garlic, chiles and garlic in the work bowl of a food processor and process until chopped. Add the olive oil, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, fish sauce and salt and process until combined. In a large Ziploc bag put the marinade, lemon slices, thyme, and chicken thighs. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.
Preheat oven to 450°. Remove chicken from marinade, shake off excess marinade, and place, skin-side up, on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until cooked through (an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh should register 165° and the juices should run clear), 25—30 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges and enjoy!
My verdict: While I wouldn’t serve these at my wedding, they were tasty! They’re certainly easy enough just to pop in the oven for dinner, if you marinate them the night before, or even in the morning. I cut back on the fish sauce and the olive oil (the original recipe called for 3 tablespoons and 1 cup respectively) because a little fish sauce goes a long way and with the already fatty thighs I didn’t see the need for all that oil. If you’re a confirmed white-meat chicken person, you might want to add some more olive oil.
Grilling the thighs would also be a great option, in which case I would start them skin-side down and flip them halfway through. We served them with jasmine rice–keeping the Oriental theme going.
You can always cut down on the salt and add it later if you think it needs it. I’d also go easy on the fish sauce, depending on how much you like it. Sherry vinegar would be great!
I’ve been interested in making this recipe which I first saw on “bon appetit”, and have been looking for reviews, so I’m happy to find this with your comments about the amount of oil you used. Thawing chicken note and will start the marinade tonight. What did you think about adding kosher salt to a recipe which already uses both soy and fish sauces? Wondering if I should leave it out. Also thinking about substituting sherry vinegar for the cider vinegar. Thanks.