Michael Voltaggio’s Crispy Chicken Thighs

Name: Michael Voltaggio&rsquo;s Crispy Chicken Thighs
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 140 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 6 boneless, skin-on chicken thighs; Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste; 2 garlic cloves, lightly smashed with a knife; 3 fresh thyme sprigs; 2 Tbs. unsalted butter; Canola oil for searing<br>

Michael Voltaggio's Crispy Chicken Thighs is rated 5.0 out of 5 by 2.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 120 minutes

Servings: 6

Created by Chef Michael Voltaggio, this recipe relies on the cooking technique known as sous vide, a French term meaning “under vacuum.” Here, chicken thighs are placed in a vacuum-sealed pouch along with garlic, thyme and butter, then slowly cooked at a low temperature in a circulating water bath. This process seals in the flavors and nutrients, yielding tender, delicious results. Just before serving, the chicken is seared in a fry pan until golden brown and crispy.

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Ingredients:

6 boneless, skin-on chicken thighs
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 garlic cloves, lightly smashed with a knife
3 fresh thyme sprigs
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
Canola oil for searing

Directions:

Prepare a sous vide immersion circulator for use according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Preheat the water to 150°F, 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Season the underside of the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Place the thighs, skin side down, into a vacuum-sealable bag, making sure they lie flat. Add the garlic, thyme and butter to the bag. Using a vacuum sealer, vacuum and seal the bag tight according to the manufacturer’s instructions; be sure you have a smooth, airtight seal. Carefully place the bag into the circulating water and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Have ready a large bowl of ice water. Remove the thighs from the circulating water and place the bag into the ice water for 20 minutes. If serving the chicken that day, place the bag on a baking sheet and refrigerate until ready to sear the thighs. If serving the chicken the next day, place the bag, with the thighs skin side down, on a baking sheet. Place another baking sheet on top and weight it down with a heavy fry pan. Refrigerate overnight.

Just before serving, remove the thighs from the bag and pat dry with paper towels. In a large fry pan over medium heat, warm 1 to 2 Tbs. oil. Working in batches, place the thighs, skin side down, in the pan and cook until golden brown and crispy, 8 to 10 minutes. Turn the thighs over and cook until warmed through, about 2 minutes more. Transfer the thighs to a plate and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Repeat with the remaining thighs, adding more oil to the pan as needed. Serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.

Recipe from Chef Michael Voltaggio

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Rated 5 out of 5 by CycleBmore from You gotta be kidding me !!! Okay. This was the very first food I ever cooked sous vide. I was going to prepare it for friends for dinner, but thought I should do a trial run first. I bought a package of 6 chicken thighs and prepared without changing anything in the recipe. I figured I'd have leftovers for a couple of lunches at work. I took one bite and immediately knew it was the best chicken I had ever cooked (and I cook a lot). I proceeded to eat all 6 thighs (in all fairness, they were small) in one sitting! I've made a lot of sous vide recipes since then, but this is still one of my favorites. If you get a sous vide machine, you MUST try scallops too!

Date published: 2014-08-25

Rated 5 out of 5 by SweetPea80 from Crispy Moist Chicken I do not have the Sous Vide Machine. So I used my old fashioned initiative. I like the plain ingredients. Garlic and Thyme are perfect. I used the dried Thyme as I did not have sprigs available. I boned out the thighs and cooked them in a heavy oven pan with paper and placing a heavy square skillet on top, with temp at 275 degrees for 1 1/2 hrs. I turned thighs once, half way through, and added a little more butter. Also turned temp down to 250 for the last 20 min. Smelled like my Grandmothers kitchen years ago. Thighs were crispy outside and moist inside. Everyone enjoyed with scalloped potatoes and Brussels Sprouts with Pesto Sauce.

Date published: 2012-04-23