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Thai Sous Vide Chicken Thighs with Tomato Salad

Thai Sous Vide Chicken Thighs with Tomato Salad

Sharon Chen
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 5 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes
Course Main Course

Equipment

  • Small Bowl
  • Cast iron pan
  • Sous Vide Immersion Circulator
  • Cooking Container

Ingredients
  

  • 1/4 cup fresh basil coarsely chopped, divided
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro coarsely chopped, divided
  • 1 1/2 tbsp fresh ginger root finely grated
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 3 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tbsp garlic minced
  • 1 1/2 tbsp sriracha
  • 1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 1/2 lbs chicken thighs bone-in, skin on
  • 4 medium tomatoes sliced

Instructions
 

  • In a small bowl, combine basil, cilantro, ginger, brown sugar, soy sauce, olive oil, garlic, sriracha, and fish sauce until blended. Reserve one-half of the marinade.
  • Place remaining half of the marinade in a large Ziploc bag; add chicken and knead to coat. Let stand 30 minutes (or overnight) in the fridge to marinate.
  • When ready to cook, preheat the sous vide immersion circulator to 149°F. Take out the marinated chicken from the fridge and open the bag. Slowly lower your bagged chicken into the water bath, using the water displacement method, letting the pressure of the water press air out through the top of the bag. Once most of the air is out of the bag, carefully seal the bag just above the waterline. Cook for 2 hours.
  • Slice the tomatoes and set aside.
  • When the chicken is done, remove the bag from the water bath and pat gently with paper towels. Heat some oil in a non-stick or cast-iron pan over high heat until very hot. Place the chicken in the hot pan to sear, skin side down. Press the chicken down slightly to allow good contact between the skin and the pan. Sear for 2-3 minutes or until the skin is golden brown and crispy. You should be able to lift the chicken easily at this point.
  • Divide the tomatoes into 4 equal portions and place on 4 serving plates. Place chicken on top and drizzle with the reserved Thai marinade. Add more kosher salt or freshly ground black pepper; sprinkle with freshly chopped basil and cilantro if desired. Enjoy!

Notes

  • If you prefer, you may transfer the marinated chicken into a sous vide bag, discard the marinade, and seal it with a vacuum sealer before adding it to the water bath.
  • When searing the chicken, wear gloves and long sleeves if you are very sensitive to small oil splatters.
  • If you sous vide a big batch, transfer the bagged chicken to an ice bath after cooking. When it’s chilled completely, chicken can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days before finishing and serving. In this case, you might want to reserve or discard the chicken juices first to prevent having gelled juices around your chicken thighs. Therefore, you can directly sear the chicken when you are ready without waiting for the juices to thaw first.
  • If you’d like some extra sauce, reserve the chicken juices after cooking, add a pat of butter and simmer it down to half as a pan sauce.
Keyword chicken, chicken thighs, sous vide, tomato