A family cookbook, kept together — free.
Best friends of cooks who are short on time but unwilling to sacrifice flavor, boneless, skinless chicken thighs are slow-cooked to tenderness with hoisin, garlic and tomato paste for an incredibly easy, saucy braised chicken that is subtly sweet and just a little spicy. Make a big pot on the weekend and use it all week for topping rice or noodles, or stuffing in tortillas. You could even shred the chicken more finely and tuck it into a bun with hot sauce, like pulled pork. The ingredients go straight into the slow cooker with hardly any prep at all, making it doable in the morning before work or school. The finishing step of reducing the sauce is necessary to create an appealingly glazed, sticky texture.
method
- 1
Combine the chicken, hoisin sauce, chopped garlic, tomato paste, vinegar, garlic powder, crushed red pepper and 2 teaspoons salt in a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker. Cook on high for about 2 hours. (The dish holds well on warm for several hours for flexibility in timing.)
- 2
Using tongs, remove the chicken to a large, rimmed serving plate or bowl.
- 3
Pour the sauce into a small saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil and cook at a vigorous simmer until reduced and syrupy, 10 to 15 minutes.
- 4
Meanwhile, using two forks, coarsely pull apart and shred the chicken. Pour the reduced sauce over the chicken and toss to coat. Taste and add more salt, red pepper or vinegar if necessary. Top with scallions, if desired.