Orange And Soy Glazed Chicken Thighs

Orange and Soy Glazed Chicken Thighs are a flavorful and succulent dish that combines the tangy sweetness of orange with the savory umami of soy sauce. The chicken thighs are seasoned and roasted to perfection, with the skin becoming crispy and golden brown. The addition of shiitake mushrooms and scallions adds depth and earthy flavors to the dish. The glaze, made with a combination of soy sauce, sugar, mirin, orange zest, and orange juice, adds a glossy and irresistible coating to the chicken. The final touch of toasted sesame seeds adds a nutty crunch. This dish is a delightful blend of Asian-inspired flavors that is sure to satisfy your taste buds.

SERVES: 4

INGREDIENTS:

• Vegetable oil for the broiler pan
• 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, trimmed
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 16 small to medium shiitake mushrooms, stemmed
• 3 medium scallions (green parts only), cut into 3-inch lengths
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 Tbs. mirin
• 1/2 tsp. finely grated orange zest
• 2 Tbs. fresh orange juice
• 1 1/4 tsp. cornstarch
• 2 tsp. toasted sesame seeds

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Position a rack about 7 inches from the broiler and heat the oven to 450°F. Line the bottom of a broiler pan with foil and lightly oil the top of the pan.
2. Season the chicken all over with 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Arrange the shiitake in 8 pairs, gill sides up, on the prepared broiler pan and season with salt and pepper. Arrange 2 or 3 scallion pieces on top of each mushroom pair, then put a chicken thigh, skin side up, on top. Press with your hand to flatten. Roast until the edges of the chicken begin to brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted in a thick part of the biggest thigh registers 165°F, about 20 minutes. Turn the broiler to high and broil until the skin is crisp and deeply browned, 5 to 6 minutes, rotating the pan once for even browning.
3. While the chicken is cooking, combine the soy sauce, sugar, mirin, and orange zest in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
4. In a small bowl, stir the orange juice and cornstarch; add this mixture to the saucepan. Return to a simmer and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and glossy, about 1 minute.
5. To serve, transfer the chicken, scallions, and mushrooms to dinner plates, drizzle with the sauce, and sprinkle with the sesame seeds.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:

PER SERVING

• 390 CALORIES | 33G PROTEIN | 17G CARB | 21G TOTAL FAT | 6G SAT FAT |
  8G MONO FAT | 5G POLY FAT | 115MG CHOL | 960MG SODIUM | 2G FIBER

NOTE:

• There’s no better accompaniment to this dish than steamed white rice. Leftover sauce keeps in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks and is also great on steak or salmon.

MORE ABOUT MIRIN: 

• Mirin is a sweet, golden yellow wine used in Japanese cooking as a sweetener. It’s more refined and mellower than table sugar and has a distinctive fragrance. When used in a basting sauce, mirin gives meats and fish an appealing gloss. In a marinade, mirin tenderizes, in addition to providing flavor. If you don’t have mirin, substitute 1 Tbs. sake or white wine plus 2 tsp. sugar.

CHOOSING

• The best mirin may be labeled hon-mirin: honjozo (which means “true mirin: naturally brewed”). Even though this isn’t “real” mirin in the artisanal sense, it does retain some of the traditional processing steps.
• Lowerquality mirin is sold under the name mirin-fu chomiryo (“a kind of mirin”) and aji-mirin (“mirin taste”). You’ll find the best selection of mirin at a specialty market.
• Refrigerated, mirin will keep for 2 months.