This recipe is based on the Portuguese Roast Turkey recipe adapted from Chef George Mendes, Alea and Lupulo,NYC. I read this recipe from Tasting Table and thought it sounded mighty interesting. I didn’t know if I wanted to invest a whole turkey in a new recipe and thought I’d give chicken thighs a try since they were on sale for sixty something cents a pound.

This recipe involves brining the poultry and then marinating the poultry before roasting.

I made a few substitutions due to what I had in my pantry and a major change in the amount of oil used going from three cups of oil down to one cup because I can’t stand the thought of using that much oil.

The other major change I did was adjusting a whole turkey cooking  procedure to preparing chicken thighs in a sensible way. I adjusted the recipe was to cook the chicken thighs at high heat without steaming or basting. If you were doing this recipe with turkey besides quadrupling the brine recipe you’d start you oven at 400 degrees F till browned  over a bed of onions carrots and a cup of water with bay leaves…thus steaming the bird…….then lower the oven to 300 degrees constantly basting the turkey with marinade and cook till done at about 160 degrees F at the thigh.

The amount of brine I cut down to one quarter since I wasn’t doing a turkey.

This chicken came out absolutely FORKING DELICIOUS! It’s very flavorful and moist and just really good. I find that if I brine chicken I like to roast it at high heat to get an easy crispy skin. Since this recipe also involved marinating I had no fear of cooking it at high heat.

Ingredients for Brine for about 5 lbs of Chicken Thighs makes 8 servings

6 cups water

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 cup kosher salt

3 cloves

2 pieces star anise

1 1/2 bay leave torn in halves

1 cinnamon stick

3/4 Tablespoon black peppercorns (white peppercorns are suggested)

1/2 Tablespoon fennel seeds

1/2 Tablespoon coriander seeds

Directions heat your brine up to medium high and simmer 8-10 minutes once chilled you can start brining. I brined the chicken two hours. If you were doing a turkey it would be 6-8 hours.

Paprika Marinade

1 cup extra virgin olive oil (three cups is suggested)

1 12 oz. bottle lager (1 1/2 cups Sagres is suggested)

1 Tablespoon Spanish Nora Pepper

1 Tablespoon sweet paprika

1 Tablespoon smoked paprika (instead of the three peppers I used 3 Tablespoons of Spanish Sweet Paprika is suggested)

1/2 yellow onion thinly sliced

7 garlic cloves thinly sliced

3 fresh bay leaves torn

Directions just mix together.

More Directions.

After two hours remove your chicken thighs from the brine. Throw out the brine and dry off your chicken a little with paper towels. Place your chicken in a big zip lock bag and add the marinade and let sit in your refrigerator over night.

Directions

Set your oven to 450 degrees F.

You need pans and line them with carrots so you make a natural rack for the chicken.

Wipe off the marinade from the chicken and place over the carrots. Depending on the size of the thighs and your oven they will be done in 30-45 minutes. I found I had some small pieces that were done in 30 minutes and the bigger pieces were mostly all done in 40 minutes. I wanted the internal temperature to be close to 180. I find when doing dark meat it’s much more delicious this way.

When the chicken comes out a light sprinkle of fresh ground sea salt would be good.

This chicken came out forking good. I might try doing a turkey this way.