Sous Vide Tandoori Chicken Thighs with Charred Edges

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Chicken thighs spend two hours in a 160°F water bath with ghee, garam masala and ginger-garlic, so they come out silky and impossible to dry out. A ripping-hot skillet gives them the blistered tandoor-style edges in 90 seconds a side, and a quick lemony yogurt cools everything down. Ten ingredients, one pan to wash.

Ingredients

• 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 2 lb)
• 3 tbsp ghee, melted (or butter)
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder or sweet paprika
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste (or 1 tbsp each grated ginger and garlic)
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

• 3/4 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• 1 lemon
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint or cilantro

Instructions

1. Set up an immersion circulator in a large pot or tub of water and heat it to 160°F (71°C).
2. In a bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons of the melted ghee, the garam masala, chili powder, turmeric, ginger-garlic paste and salt. Add the chicken thighs and rub the paste over every surface.
3. Slide the thighs into a large zip-top freezer bag in a single overlapping layer. Lower the bag into the water until only the top inch is above the surface so the water pressure pushes the air out, then seal it. Clip the bag to the side of the pot and cook for 2 hours at 160°F (thighs hold beautifully anywhere from 2 to 4 hours).
4. While it cooks, mix the yogurt with the zest of half the lemon, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, half the mint and a pinch of salt. Chill until serving. Cut the remaining lemon into wedges.
5. Lift the bag out and transfer the thighs to a plate lined with paper towels; pat them thoroughly dry on both sides, discarding the bag juices (a wet thigh will not brown). Heat the last 1 tablespoon ghee in a cast-iron or heavy skillet over high heat until it shimmers and just begins to smoke.
6. Sear the thighs in two batches, 60 to 90 seconds per side, until charred in patches. Rest 3 minutes, then scatter with the remaining mint and serve with the yogurt and lemon wedges.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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