FOOD NEWS
Pouring Boiling Water On Chicken Thighs Will Change Your Cooking Forever
by Mashed Staff
Commonly done in Asian cuisine, pouring boiling water over chicken thighs before cooking can help you achieve that much-desired mouth-watering, crackling, crispy chicken skin.
When you blanch your chicken with boiling water, the connective and fatty tissues in the meat are broken down a little. With the excess fat rendered out, you get a leaner meal.
As a result, you get the perfect crisp without having to cook out that extra fatty tissue. This trick can be especially beneficial if you are using bone-in, skin-on thighs.
First, prep the thighs in a kosher salt dry brine and refrigerate them overnight to let the skin dry out. For best results, lift the skin of the thigh and add some salt in between.
Then, lightly dust off the salt flecks and place them skin-side up on a baking sheet or roasting pan on a rack. With a kettle, pour boiling water over the skin in a small stream.
Let the thighs sit for a few minutes before draining the water to help the skin lift and shrink a little. Lastly, pat them dry with a paper towel, add seasonings, and pan-fry.