Quick & Easy Spiced Chicken Thighs (…and a Pool)
As if there wasn’t enough going on in the height of summer, we decided last week to put in a pool.
Though I’ve brought the idea up before, the timing was never quite right to take on such a project. This time, it was, and the sweltering day I chose to propose the project certainly worked in my favor! Summer sweat was already beading up on my forehead as I presented my case to the family.
It was a resounding yes all around… VICTORY! Which is great because I need all hands on deck to make this pool project happen!
Though adding an above-ground pool may sound like a simple enough project, the round pool will drop a whopping five feet in elevation. This means that over the weekend, these homesteaders started building retaining walls, hauling rocks, excavating dirt, and got very tired.
We all have blisters on our hands and red shoulders from the effort.
And we’re not even finished yet.
At the end of the day, I often duck out of the manual labor just long enough to have the kitchen tidied and supper cooking for when the crew makes their way back in. Today’s recipe often finds its way onto our summer supper table, and our little crew is always very pleased when it does. It can be served alongside grits… grilled potatoes… rice… or a bag of tortilla chips.
The point is to give my people something lip-smackin’ good to say thank you for shoveling dirt all day. This dish does just that.
Spiced Chicken Thighs with Salsa Fresca
This ten-minute entrée is the perfect cap to a day of hard work. I often double it and keep the marinated chicken in the refrigerator for quick meals. It's at its best when the cherry tomatoes are coming off the vines, the cilantro is freshly harvested from the herb pots, and the onions are crisp and fresh in all their summer glory.
For the chicken:
6 chicken thighs, bone-in and skin-on
1-2 tablespoons turmeric
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
2 teaspoons sea salt
4 cloves garlic, minced
For the Salsa Fresca:
1 bunch cilantro
6 green onions
1 pound cherry tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
4 tablespoons lime juice
Instructions:
Combine the chicken thighs and all the spices in a bowl. Use your hands to massage the spices into the chicken thighs, cover the bowl, and set it aside for at least one hour to marinate. (I often mix it up in the morning for supper because it makes dinner prep that much easier.)
To make the salsa fresca, finely chop the cilantro and green onions. Add them to a medium-sized bowl. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and add them to the bowl. Season the salsa fresca with the pepper, salt, and lime juice to taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Cook the chicken over charcoal until the skin is crispy and it is cooked thoroughly (about 5-6 minutes per side). Alternatively, the chicken can be cooked in a hot cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat with a few tablespoons of olive oil added. Cook the chicken skin side down first to crisp it before flipping it over to finish cooking.
Serve the spiced chicken thighs alongside a generous pile of salsa fresca. A cold margarita wouldn’t hurt either…
