Gretchen’s table: Spicy chicken thigh with mint yogurt sauce revels in warm spices

By Gretchen McKay Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Like a multitude of home cooks I keep a kitchen garden planted with herbs during the summer growing season Related Articles Trout remain a staple at Colorado restaurants though greater part fish come from outside the state Recipe This is the best way to make a Wedge Salad Brewery near Red Rocks Amphitheatre announces closure A simple recipe for tsukudani an everyday Japanese side dish to eat with hot rice Colfax construction takes out year-old pastry shop I have a pretty good hand with basil and rosemary and my parsley generally does pretty well too Yet one of the greater part prolific or dare I say dastardly patches of green contains mint The bully of the herb world mint is quick to take over a garden by sending its roots outward and upwards in what feels like minutes Winter s chill doesn t kill it and if you re not persistent neither does yanking it out at the start of the season Leave just one tiny root and bam have you ever got a crop Time and again I ve reminded myself to remove the plant to its own container but space is limited in my raised beds and I am admittedly lazy when it comes to weeding So instead I just pull it out and use the sweet and minty leaves in whatever I can think of that day a mojito or julep if I m thirsty for a cocktail or specific sort of sauce if more geared toward dinner Because it s so refreshing and cool mint is great in a creamy yogurt sauce that can be paired with any number of dishes Here the herb takes a spin with Greek yogurt in a food processor with green onion fresh lemon and jalape o to create a topping for gently spiced roasted boneless chicken thighs I paired the chicken and sauce with steamed white rice but any favorite grain is a great accompaniment You can cut the chicken into slices before serving or serve whole Spicy Chicken Thigh with Mint Yogurt Sauce PG tested Marinating the chicken thighs before cooking will help tenderize the meat and add flavor I let them rest in the marinade overnight in the fridge but even an hour will add a quick flavor boost If you don t use all the marinade when roasting the meat be sure to discard it I used about a cup of packed mint leaves in the yogurt sauce but you could use more or less depending on how thick and or chunky you want it to be For chicken pounds boneless skinless chicken thigh about tablespoons extra virgin olive oil tablespoons tomato paste garlic cloves minced Zest and juice of lemon tablespoons smoked paprika tablespoons dried oregano Generous pinch of cayenne pepper Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper For sauce cup plain Greek yogurt bunch fresh mint leaves picked about cup roughly chopped green onions roughly chopped jalapeno pepper seeded and roughly chopped Zest and juice of lemon tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste For serving cups cooked rice quinoa or couscous Prepare chicken Pat chicken thighs dry with a clean paper towel This will help the marinade adhere better to the meat In large bowl whisk together olive oil tomato paste garlic lemon juice and zest paprika oregano and a generous pinch of cayenne Season to taste with salt and pepper Add chicken thighs to bowl and toss to combine making sure all of the meat is covered with marinade Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator Allow chicken to marinate for at least hour and up to overnight About a half an hour before you want to cook remove chicken from fridge and allow it to come back to room temperature Preheat oven to degrees Place chicken in a roasting pan I used a cast-iron skillet and roast for to minutes or until chicken registers degrees on an instant-read thermometer While chicken is roasting prepare the yogurt sauce Add yogurt mint green onions jalape o pepper lemon zest and juice and olive oil to the bowl of a food processor or blender Process until the mixture is as smooth or chunky as you like I made it fairly smooth Pour sauce into a serving bowl season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside while you plate the chicken Remove chicken from the roasting pan or skillet to a serving platter If you like pour particular of the juices in the pan on top Slice chicken thigh into thin slices or serve whole with your favorite grain and the mint yogurt sauce Serves Gretchen McKay Post-Gazette PG Publishing Co Visit at post-gazette com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency LLC