- Chicken Mains
- Grilled Chicken
- Chicken Thighs
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When I went into my backyard to grill the chicken thighs for this recipe from Mark Bittman, I ran into a neighbor who was cooking some steaks at the same time. He took one look at my chicken and started shaking his head. "Chicken is so hard to cook well, I never grill it." And it struck me then that a lot of people probably feel that way.
Why I Picked This Recipe: I found this recipe in the New York Times Country Weekend Cookbook, and picked it because it's grilling season and the flavors looked wonderful. An herb paste of parsley, rosemary, thyme, and lavender (the last ingredient is optional, but gives it a floral South of France kind of flavor) is tucked under the skin with a bay leaf, and as the chicken slowly grills, it perfumes the meat.
What Worked: Bittman's technique here is solid (and works for any recipe for grilled bone-in chicken). After seasoning the meat, the grill is preheated with a two-zone method of hot and warm (accomplished by either banking coals on one side or turning on half the gas burners). The chicken starts skin-side up on the cooler part of the grill unti the fat begins to render, then gets flipped skin-side down and coasts slowly to doneness (patience is key). With the skin-side down, the meat is protected from drying out too much, and once the chicken is about ready, you simply move it over the coals or hot side to cook the skin into a mouthwatering crispness. The result is juicy, golden, crisp chicken.
What Didn't: Bittman also called for stashing a bay leaf under the skin, but it was frustrating to remove after cooking and I didn't think it added too much.
Suggested Tweaks: The recipe needs a little balance and brightness, and Bittman calls for serving with wedges of lemon. But the zest of a lemon grated into the herb paste would be a nice variation on this recipe, either instead of or in addition to the lemon wedges.
Adapted from New York Times Country Weekend Cookbook.
Recipe Details
Mark Bittman's Grilled Mediterranean Chicken Thighs Recipe
Active20 mins
Total45 mins
Serves4 servings
Ingredients
1 teaspoonchopped fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh lavender (optional)
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil as needed
8 bay leaves
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
2 lemons, cut into wedges
Directions
In a small bowl, combine the chopped herbs, salt, and pepper. Add enough olive oil to turn the mixture into a loose paste, about 2 tablespoons. Carefully separate the skin of each thigh from the meat, taking care not to tear it completely off, and slip 1 bay leaf under each. Then, spoon in the herb paste, taking care to avoid getting too much on the outside of the skin. Season the outside of the chicken with salt and pepper.
Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and arrange the coals on one side of the charcoal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill, and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Alternatively, set half the burners on a gas grill to the highest heat setting, cover, and preheat for 10 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate.
Place the chicken skin-side up on the cooler side of the grill and cook until the fat has begun to render, about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken over and cook for 20 minutes longer.
Move the chicken (still skin-side down) to the hot part of the grill and cook until the skin is crisp and the meat is cooked through. Serve the chicken immediately with lemon wedges.
| Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 427 | Calories |
| 29g | Fat |
| 6g | Carbs |
| 41g | Protein |
Show Full Nutrition Label
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| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 4 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 427 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 29g | 37% |
| Saturated Fat 8g | 39% |
| Cholesterol 218mg | 73% |
| Sodium 614mg | 27% |
| Total Carbohydrate 6g | 2% |
| Dietary Fiber 2g | 6% |
| Total Sugars 1g | |
| Protein 41g | |
| Vitamin C 32mg | 162% |
| Calcium 42mg | 3% |
| Iron 3mg | 14% |
| Potassium 531mg | 11% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
