Lemon-garlic chicken thighs

After years (decades, probably) of buying boneless, skinless chicken breasts, I’ve become a convert to boneless, skinless thighs. Sure, they’re a bit higher in fat and calories, but the flavor and moisture are worth it.

(For the record, according to NutritionData.com, 1 ounce of thigh meat without skin contains 59 calories, 3 grams of fat — including 1 gram of saturated fat — 27mg cholesterol, 7 grams protein and 25mg sodium. An ounce of breast meat contains 46 calories, 1 gram of fat — none of it saturated — 24mg cholesterol, 9 grams protein and 21mg sodium.)

I developed this recipe recently because I wanted to use some Meyer lemons I had in my fridge. Meyer lemons are less tart and more fragrant than regular lemons; ordinary supermarket ones would work well in the recipe.

As long as I had the oven on, I roasted some sweet potatoes. I like to cook them until they’re soft and super-sweet. I don’t think they need to be served with butter, although a grinding of coarse salt and pepper is a nice touch. I had picked up some nice asparagus to round out the meal. I rinsed the stalks and snapped off the ends, then arranged the asparagus in a single layer on a foil-coated jellyroll pan. When the chicken and potatoes were done, I turned on the broiler and cooked the asparagus just until tender-crisp. This method really lets the flavor of the vegetable shine through.

Lemon-Garlic Chicken Thighs
Yield: 5 servings

5 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2/3 cup whole-wheat panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 lemon, washed well and cut into thin wedges

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a glass baking pan just large enough to hold the chicken with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange chicken in pan. Sprinkle chicken with lemon juice.

In a small bowl, stir together panko, garlic, lemon zest, thyme, salt and pepper. Add oil; mix until well combined. Scatter panko mixture over chicken, dividing evenly. Arrange lemon wedges around chicken.

Bake chicken, uncovered, until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of one of the thighs reaches 170 degrees, about 40 minutes. Carefully remove chicken from pan; arrange on a serving plate.