Chicken's flavor roosts here

When people say that a food tastes like chicken, what they really mean is that it tastes bland. It's generic. It lacks distinctive flavor. It's not a compliment.

When the dreaded "tastes like chicken" is invoked, people aren't talking fried chicken legs or spicy chicken wings. No, they are referring to boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

Removing the bone and skin of any meat reduces the flavor that can be coaxed out of it. That's particularly true of white-meat chicken in this age of industrial food production, when most chickens are bred for large breasts and other reasons besides flavor.

Still, boneless, skinless chicken breasts are a great convenience food. They require no prep in the kitchen. They are low in fat. They cook in a flash. And they are so versatile that they can be matched with virtually any kind of cuisine or ingredient.

Of course, people can seek out free-range, naturally raised heritage breeds of chicken to find boneless, skinless breasts with character - and pay a pretty penny for it.

Or, they can find a simpler, less expensive solution - one that sits right next to the boneless, skinless breasts in most supermarkets.

12 garlic cloves, crushed

½ cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 salt-packed anchovies, filleted, rinsed and patted dry (or 4 oil-packed anchovy fillets, drained)

½ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

Pinch crushed red-pepper flakes

2 cups fresh bread crumbs

12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

3 shallots, sliced ¼-inch thick

½ teaspoon anchovy paste (1 anchovy fillet, mashed)

1 pound snap peas, blanched (see note)

Combine garlic, cup of the oil, anchovies, parsley, red-pepper flakes and bread crumbs in a food processor. Process until fairly smooth.

Put chicken thighs in a large bowl and toss with breadcrumb mixture until well-coated. Arrange in a single layer on a platter and refrigerate 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare grill for indirect grilling (with one hot side and one cool side, with no heat under rack on the cool side).

Place the chicken thighs top (skinned) side up on the cooler part of the grill. Cover the grill and cook, turning once, until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes on each side.

Meanwhile, heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a 10- to 12-inch saute pan over medium heat. Add shallots and anchovy paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots are soft, about 5 minutes. Add snap peas and cook, stirring just until heated through. Divide snap peas among 6 plates. Top each with 2 chicken thighs.

Serves six.

Cook's notes: To blanch the snap peas, put them in boiling water for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or just until they turn bright green, then transfer to a bowl of ice water to cool. Drain before using.

The thighs also could be baked in a 425-degree oven for about 15 minutes, then broiled for a few minutes to brown the tops.

Adapted from "Italian Grill" by Mario Batali (2008 Ecco Press, $29.95)

I'm talking about chicken thighs, which are widely available without skin or bone. Boneless, skinless thighs often go for about $3.50 a pound, compared to $5 or more for boneless, skinless breasts.

Thighs are versatile, too. They can be used in just about any recipe that calls for breasts. They do wonders for chili or kebabs. And they can be grilled, broiled, sauteed, stewed, stir-fried - you name it.

OK, so thighs are dark meat, and maybe that won't fly in your house. But they do have a marked flavor advantage over chicken breasts. As the editors of Cook's Illustrated said in reviewing tests for chicken teriyaki in "The Best Chicken Recipes" (America's Test Kitchen, 2008), "Whether the chicken breasts were seared and broiled, solely broiled, marinated or left plain and sauced at the end, they always ended up unappealingly dry, bland and even a little rubbery around the edges compared with the thigh meat."

Thigh meat has a clear flavor advantage over breast meat. Best of all, it is much less likely to dry out - a common mishap with chicken breasts.

Thighs have one drawback. The characteristic that makes them less likely to dry out is a higher fat content. That also means more calories. A 3-ounce portion of steamed, boneless, skinless chicken thighs has 165 calories and 8 grams of fat (2 grams saturated fat), compared with 128 calories and 3 grams of fat (1 gram saturated) for steamed boneless, skinless chicken breast.

But in the larger scheme of things, thighs are not bad.

Consider that a 3-ounce broiled burger of 90 percent lean beef has 210 calories and 11 grams of fat (4 grams saturated) and a 3-ounce piece of roasted canned ham with 13 percent fat has 190 calories and 13 grams of fat (4 grams saturated).

In other words, it's not hard to incorporate chicken thighs into a nutritious meal. And if flavor and moistness are important, it's well worth giving thighs a chance.

As more people turn to chicken thighs, more cookbooks are incorporating thigh pieces in their collections. Check out recipes in "29 Minutes to Dinner" from The Pampered Chef, "Easy Comfort Food" edited by Julia Charles (Ryland Peters & Small) and Bon Appetit's "Fast Easy Fresh" edited by Barbara Fairchild (Wiley).

• Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service

Orange Marinated Chicken Thighs

6 oranges, peeled and seeded, coarsely chopped

1 onion, coarsely chopped

3½ ounces (half a 7-ounce can) chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (or ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper)

3 cloves garlic

⅓ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

1 tablespoon fresh marjoram leaves

1 teaspoon salt

12 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless

¼ cup tequila, optional

2 cups chicken broth, optional

In food processor, combine orange pieces, onion, chipotle peppers, garlic, cilantro, rosemary, thyme, marjoram and salt. Pulse to make a coarse puree.

Pour marinade into a large zipper-lock plastic bag, add chicken thighs and seal bag. Shake gently to coat chicken completely. Refrigerate overnight.

Coat a large, cast-iron skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat. Remove chicken from orange marinade, wiping off excess. Add chicken and cook until nicely browned on one side, about 5 minutes. Turn chicken over and finish cooking, about 5 minutes more. Chicken should be cooked through, but still juicy. Serve hot, at room temperature or cool.

Serves six.

For an optional sauce: Pour ¼ cup tequila into the pan and break up browned bits from the bottom. Strain the marinade liquid into the pan with about 2 cups chicken broth. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes.

Adapted from eatchicken.com.

Chicken Jambalaya

2 teaspoons canola oil

1 cup andouille sausage, cut in chunks

1 cup onion, chopped

1 celery rib, chopped

1 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped (remove and discard seeds)

6 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless, cut into 1-inch chunks

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon thyme, minced

1 teaspoon oregano, minced

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 can (14 ounces) whole, peeled plum tomatoes, with juice

1 can (14 ounces) tomato sauce

2 cups chicken broth

4 green onions, chopped

1 cup uncooked long-grain rice

In a large saucepan, warm canola oil over medium heat. Add sausage; saute until crisp on the edges, about 8 minutes. Stir in onion, celery and green pepper; saute until tender, about 5 minutes.

Increase heat to medium-high, add chicken thighs and saute until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; stir in cayenne pepper, thyme, oregano, salt, pepper and garlic. Continue sauteing about 3 more minutes.

Stir in tomatoes with their juices, tomato sauce, chicken broth, green onions and rice. Bring to a simmer; reduce heat to very low, cover and cook for 20 minutes, until rice is tender.

Serves four.

Adapted from eatchicken.com

Paprika Chicken and Egg Noodles

8 ounces green beans

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 tablespoon paprika

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

8 ounces mushrooms

1 medium onion

3 tablespoons butter, divided

8 ounces uncooked egg noodles

2 tablespoons snipped fresh dill

Sour cream (optional)

For noodles, bring salted water to a boil in a 4-quart pan. Cut green beans diagonally into 2-inch pieces. Set aside.

Lightly spray a 12-inch skillet with vegetable oil; heat over medium-high heat 1-3 minutes or until hot. Meanwhile, dice chicken into 1-inch pieces; sprinkle with paprika, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper, if desired. Cook 5-7 minutes or until centers of chicken are no longer pink, stirring occasionally. Remove chicken from skillet; set aside.

As chicken cooks, cut mushrooms into quarters. Cut onion in half lengthwise; then into -inch wedges. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter to skillet. Cook and stir mushrooms and onion over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until golden brown.

Meanwhile, add noodles to boiling water and cook 2 minutes. Add green beans to noodles. Cook, uncovered, 5 to 6 minutes or until noodles are cooked to desired tenderness. Carefully remove ¾ cup of the cooking water for use in sauce. Drain noodles and green beans using large colander.

Add chicken and cooking water to skillet; stir to loosen browned bits from bottom of skillet. Cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes or until sauce is thickened and chicken is heated through.

Meanwhile, toss noodles and green beans with remaining butter. Snip or chop dill.

To serve: Divide noodle mixture among serving plates; top with chicken and sauce. Sprinkle with dill and garnish with sour cream, if desired.

Serves four.

@Recipe nutrition:Nutrition values per serving: 500 calories, 20 g fat (8 g saturated), 49 g carbohydrates, 5 g fiber, 31 g protein, 150 mg cholesterol, 380 mg sodium.

The Pampered Chef, Ltd

Chicken Saute with Carrots, Leeks, Mustard and Cream

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

8-10 chicken thighs

10 ounces carrots, thickly sliced at an angle

10 ounces leeks, white part only, cut into 1-inch slices

3 garlic cloves, sliced

1 cup dry white wine

Handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons heavy cream or crème fraîche

1 tablespoon grainy Dijon mustard

Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a wide, shallow sauté pan with a lid, large enough to hold the chicken in a single layer. Add the chicken and brown all over, 3-5 minutes on each side. Work in batches if necessary. Transfer the browned chicken to a plate, season well with salt.

Add the carrots and leeks to the pan and cook over high heat 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and some salt and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring; do not let the garlic burn. Add the wine and stir, scraping up any bits that stick to the pan.

Return the chicken pieces to the pan and bury under the vegetables. Add the parsley, cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes.

Remove the chicken with tongs. Raise the heat and cook the sauce to reduce slightly, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in the cream and mustard, with salt and pepper to taste. If serving from the pan, return the chicken pieces and serve, or arrange the pieces on plates and spoon the sauce over the top.

Serves four.

"Easy Comfort Food" (2008 Ryland Peters & Small, $19.95)

Chicken Thighs With Snap Peas and Agliata