Crispy Chicken Thighs, Corn Mash & Burnt Spring Onion Chimichurri Recipe

Felicity Vincent
Mar 1, 2024
4 min read

Updated: Aug 1, 2024

The ultimate sauce and recipe for cooking chicken thighs

This burnt spring onion chimichurri is a great sauce to have in the back pocket to go with all sorts: omelette, salad, tacos, pies, steak,... it's especially good to cut through anything a bit fatty.

I think it goes particularly well with crispy chicken thighs and corn.

This recipe might look very cheffy and impressive but it's actually very easy to put together and works both for a midweek meal as well as a special occasion.

Ingredients: (serves 4)

Burnt Onion Chimichurri:

2 bunches of spring onion (approx 200g)
20g parsley
2 rosemary sprigs
1 lime, juiced
1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
1 Tbs EVOO
2 pinches of sea salt
Black pepper

Corn Puree (Mash):

400g frozen corn
380mL semi-skimmed milk (or soya milk)
1 tsp smoked paprika
Salt

8 skin-on chicken thighs (approx 1 kg) - alternatively you can use a mix of thighs and drumsticks, comment if you would like a step by step to debone drumsticks.
Assorted salad leaves (dressed with a bit of salt and EVOO)

Method:

Start off by making the chimichurri:

If you have a gas hob, put the spring onion directly on the flame and turn occasionally with tongs until the outer layer is fully burnt. Alternatively, coat them with a bit of olive oil then place flat on a baking tray and roast at 200°C until brown all over.
Leave the burnt spring onion to cool down in a covered dish then slowly peel away the burnt layer.
Chop off the roots and discard them, then roughly chop the cooked spring onions into small chunks.
Pluck the rosemary sprigs and finely chop them with the parsley.
Mix the spring onion and herbs in a bowl with the other chimichurri ingredients. Taste to adjust seasoning based on personal preference and then set to the side until ready to serve. It can be stored in a closed container in the fridge for at least 3 days.

Debone the chicken thighs:

Follow my video for visual aid if needed.
Pat the chicken thighs dry with kitchen towel then place them skin side down on a chopping board.
Use a sharp knife to make an incision on the right side of the bone.
Turn the thigh so the bone is horizontal, then place the pointy end of the knife under the bone with the blade facing away from you and the arm you are holding the thigh with. Cut under the bone in this direction.
Lift up the bone which is now partially detached from the thigh and, using the blade of the knife at an angle, scrape the thigh off the bone towards the joint of the bone (aka your chopping board).
Once the thigh is fully scraped off the bone, flip it to skin side up while holding the bone then slice the bone off at the base making sure to include all cartilage.
Season the skin with a generous amount of salt and it's ready for cooking.
Note: if you don't want to debone the chicken thigh then cook them in the oven rather than in the frying pan, it should take 30-40 minutes at 200°C depending on the size.
Make sure to properly clean down the board and work surfaces once you are finished, then wash your hands in cold water. I recommend pouring boiling water on the chopping board to kill off bacteria.

Cook the chicken thighs:

Place the chicken thighs skin side down on a cold frying pan, then put on a low heat and leave the fat to render out fully, it should take about 20 minutes.
Once all the fat is rendered, turn the heat up and brown the skins for 5 minutes.
Season the flesh side with salt before flipping over and caramelising that side for a further 5 minutes.
Take off the heat and leave to rest uncovered for 5 minutes.
You should have lovely crispy skin and moist tender meat ready to serve up.

Make the corn mash:

While the chicken fat is rendering, place the frozen corn in a saucepan with the milk, salt and smoked paprika.
Cover and bring to the boil, then remove the lid and simmer on medium heat for 15 minutes.
Blend with a stick blender until you have the smooth consistency you desire.

Serve it all up on a plate with a bit of dressed salad and bon appétit!

Full Video:

More about this recipe:

The chimichurri:

Spring onions are in season, now I’ll be completely honest I’m not a massive fan of them raw, I find they can be a bit too pungent and dominate a dish, but to each their own! I do however think they’re completely overlooked as a vegetable and love to eat them cooked, they’re basically a cross between a cute mini leek and an onion with that blend of sweetness and a stronger onion flavour, they’re also a great source of folate and vitamin C which amongst other health benefits makes them a great mood food for a happy boost. I especially love this chimichurri recipe as the burnt spring onion gives another layer of depth to the classic Argentinian sauce by adding smokiness and cutting through the fat and acid with a mild onion kick to lift it to another level. It’s the perfect sauce for any fatty element. Feel free to adjust the spice level according to your personal preference.

The chicken:

Deboning the chicken is the trickiest part of this recipe but it doesn't take long once you've got the hang of it. Alternatively, if you go to a butcher you'll be able to buy deboned thighs with the skin still on. You can use this method for any chicken thigh recipe afterwards too.

You can also roast them in the oven with the bone if you don't want to go through deboning them.

The corn mash:

I find this is a great way to use frozen vegetables. Frozen corn is very cheap, even more than tinned, and it's frozen at the peak of the season which means it's got the maximum amount of it's nutrients.

This corn mash is very easy to make and tastes like polenta but without the grainy texture which some people dislike. Feel free to make it to replace polenta as a cheaper and healthier alternative in other recipes too.