from The Awesome Olive
Ingredients
4 chicken thighs, boneless skinless (*see note below)
1 ½ Tbsp Blood Orange Olive Oil
1 Tbsp thyme, fresh (optional)
¾ tsp salt
¼ tsp fresh ground pepper
½ cup Bourbon Maple Balsamic
½ cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp soya sauce
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp yellow or Dijon mustard
½ tsp grated orange zest (optional)
Juice of half of a medium orange
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 425F. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a pot over medium-high heat, whisk together Maple Bourbon Balsamic, brown sugar, soya sauce, garlic, cornstarch (*see tip 1 below), mustard, and orange juice. (*see tip 4)
Bring to a boil for 1 minute, then reduce to a simmer for 8 minutes, the flavor is all in the glaze! The trick is to reduce the glaze so you get all that flavor intensified. Remove from heat, stir in orange zest.
Coat your chicken thighs with Blood Orange Olive Oil, salt & pepper, and fresh thyme. Heat a frying pan to medium-high heat then sear your chicken for 3 minutes on each side. (*see tip 2 below)
Remove from heat and coat the chicken with the balsamic sauce. (*see tip 3 below) Put on baking sheet and cook in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165F. Serve with remaining glaze.
*Note – if using bone-in/skin-on thighs, increase baking time to 25-35 minutes, juices should run clear and no pink at the bone.
Tips:
- Mix the cornstarch with the soy sauce well to avoid lumps before adding to pot.
- If using skin-on thighs, sear skin side down first, after flipping add the fresh thyme if using. Bake skin side up.
- Another vital step in the recipe is to baste the chicken half-way through baking. This ensures that the flavors are spread evening and the chicken does not dry out.
- Squeeze orange over strainer to avoid pits.
Nada’s Tips & Tricks: I love specialty ingredients that can be used for so many purposes…The Awesome Olive provides both balsamic vinegar and olive oil infused with amazing flavour that will enhance any dish…this one does not disappoint. The infused ingredients heighten the flavours of a classic sweet and savoury chicken dish.
Contents and images used with permission by Chef Mike Case and The Awesome Olive. https://theawesomeolive.ca/blogs/recipes/maple-orange-chicken-thighs
