Asian Foil Wrapped Chicken Thighs

Do you have a pet peeve? Something that really makes you crazy? I have more than I can count, although after 30+ years of being married to a man who bravely pokes fun at all my petty pet peeves, I’ve learned to let go of a few. Hubby would do things like eat a salad with a dinner fork just to teach me that the world was not going to go spinning off to some etiquette hell because of it. And then there are those pet peeves that do matter, and we need to speak up.

So often I hear people say “I can’t cook”. In other words, they don’t know how or believe that cooking is some secret talent far beyond their abilities. It is one thing to say I don’t like to cook. That’s fine, not every one does. But anyone can cook. Okay, so you might not ever create a recipe all on your own, but anyone can learn to follow one. And maybe your first day in the kitchen isn’t going to produce a Chocolate Soufflé, but you might some day. We all came into the world as babies, unable to do anything for ourselves. We learned. We learned to walk and to talk and to do for ourselves. This isn’t something that happened over night. It took time to develop skills to navigate the world. And sometimes we failed. The first time we rode a bike, there might have been a scrape or two. Falling down, failing is all part of the learning process.

It saddens me to realize how much our society has changed, especially in America. Generations no longer live together or in close proximity to one another. You don’t find Grandma and Mom and child all at the stove cooking a meal together. We are loosing something that can never be gotten again.  And that’s sad. Very, very sad. Not only have we lost the skills and the knowledge that was passed from generation to generation, we have lost that sense of belonging beyond ourselves.

Learning how to cook is a fundamental need. We all need to eat. And we cannot rely on McDonald’s to feed us. It’s just not healthy. Not for the body, and certainly not for the soul. Some of my fondest memories of my sisters revolves around cooking together as a family. Family doesn’t need to be relatives either. Create memories with close friends. Create bonds that last. Our world has enough short cuts and disposable product. Don’t let the people in your life drift by.

That’s my rant about can’ts and the things that matter in life. Let’s get to cooking, shall we?

Asian Foil Wrapped Chicken Thighs
2 Garlic Cloves
1 teaspoon fresh Ginger
1/2 cup Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 cup Soy Sauce
1/2 teaspoon Cornstarch
1 teaspoon Dried Basil
1 teaspoon Sugar
8 boneless Chicken Thighs

Peel and finely mince the garlic cloves. Place minced garlic in a large bowl. Peel and grate fresh ginger. Add to the mixing bowl.

Add Worcestershire, soy sauce, cornstarch, basil and sugar. Whisk to blend. Set bowl aside.

Trim any excess fat remaining on chicken thighs. Cut thighs into bite-size pieces. Place chicken pieces into the bowl to marinate. Let sit for about 30 minutes for the flavors to fully develop.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cut 8 pieces of foil large enough to wrap 8 cut-up thighs along with marinating liquid. Set aside until ready to use.

Divide marinated chicken into 8 portions. Place chicken portions on foil, spoon any remaining marinate over chicken. Fold foil over chicken and fold edges together to seal. Make sure chicken is tightly wrapped and fully sealed.

Place chicken “packages” on rimmed baking sheet and bake in the heated oven until cooked through and caramelized, about 45 minutes.

Note: Open 1 package to check after about 35-40 minutes. Adjust time accordingly.

If desired, serve with steamed rice. Pour any remaining drippings from the foil over the rice for a delicious sauce.