Orange and Soy Glazed Chicken Thighs
June 6, 2012 – 7:00 pmA different take on orange glazed chicken – this one from Fine Cooking. This recipe has an Asian spin, and was much better than last week’s attempt at orange glazed chicken. I upped the veggies as always, as well as increasing the orange zest, and served this with some steamed jasmine rice and roasted zucchini. I saw a version of this recipe done with skinless boneless thighs, which made it even faster, and I might try that next time.
Orange and Soy Glazed Chicken Thighs
Serves 4
8 skin-on bone-in chicken thighs (about 2 lbs)
kosher salt and black pepper
32 medium shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
3 medium scallions, white root removed, cut into 3 inch lengths
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
2 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp finely grated orange zest
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
2 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
Place a rack about 6 inches from the broiler and preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick foil. Arrange the shiitakes in groups of four, gill side up, on the pan, and season lightly with salt. Top each group of mushrooms with 2-3 pieces of scallion.
Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper and place one chicken thigh on top of each group of mushrooms, skin side up.
Roast at 450 degrees F until the skin has started to brown and the internal temperature in the thickest part of the meat is 165 degrees F (about 20 minutes).
While the chicken is roasting, whisk together the soy sauce, mirin, and orange zest in a small saucepan. Heat the sauce over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the orange juice and cornstarch to form a slurry. When the liquid reaches a low boil, add the cornstarch slurry and stir constantly as the mixture comes back to a simmer and thickens, 1-2 minutes. Reduce heat to low and keep warm.
When the chicken is done roasting, brush it generously with the sauce.
Turn the broiler on to high and broil the chicken thighs to crisp the skin and caramelize the sauce, about another 1-2 minutes.
Use a wide spatula to transfer two chicken thighs with the mushrooms and scallions to a plate. Brush each thigh generously again with the sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve warm.
