Crispy Ginger-Lime Chicken Thighs

Confession: My favorite part of the chicken is the thighs. And I've never cooked chicken thighs.


So when I saw a recipe for crispy ginger-lime chicken thighs, I knew I needed to try them. Especially since I found chicken thighs on sale.


The first I actively did to make this dish was talk to My Brother the Chef about meat thermometers. You see, I'm terrified of salmonella (thanks, Mom) and therefore always over cook chicken. And pork for that matter, but that's another dish.


So when I saw the Martha Stewart gave me the exact temperature the thighs needed to come to in order to be cooked, I knew I needed a meat thermometer.


I texted My Brother the Chef.


"I need to buy a meat thermometer," I wrote. "Talk to me."


"Get a digital one," he replied. "Don't spend too much on it for it will break eventually. But don't get the cheapest one either. Go middle of the road."


"Why digital?" I wanted to know.


"10 times faster," he wrote. "Don't have to worry about recalibrating it all the time. Go digital."


So I went shopping. And while I did get a digital thermometer, I went with the cheapest one, not because it was the cheapest, but because it was the only one (out of a whole three options) that you just stuck in the meet to check as opposed to leaving it in while the meat cooks to a specified temperature. (You know the kind with the cord that Alton Brown  likes so well.)


I followed the recipe directions pretty much to the letter, although I didn't measure the fresh ginger, I just kept grating until it looked like the right amount. (Maybe I need to buy the ginger paste in a tube, too?)

What they should look like

I was surprised how easily the skin pulled away from the meet for me to rub the mixture underneath. I used an iced tea spoon to poke it under the skin and rubbed it is from the top. I find iced tea spoons to be a wonderful kitchen tool. It smelled really, really good. The ginger/lime/scallion mixture. Not the spoon.


Now, after my experience with the broiler burning my friend pickles, I did not broil the chicken. I put the oven at 450 degrees and cooked it longer. But I should have used the broiler. I cooked the chicken to temp (thank you, meat thermometer) but the skin did not get crispy. I'll know better for next time.


I served it with herbed rice that didn't turn out so hot.

Yeah, definitely need to work on the camera skills.

I thought this chicken was very tasty and I'm looking forward to cooking it again.


Conclusion: Yes, you should use the broiler.