Each Wednesday, I offer a recipe based on what's on sale at the local grocery stores.
This week, Lowe's Foods has Perdue chicken thighs on sale for $1.19 a pound. The thighs come in 5 1/2 pound packages. So I found a recipe from one of my favorite food writers, Mark Bittman, the Minimalist cook for The New York Times. The recipe is for Deviled Chicken Thighs, which comes from Bittman's cookbook, "Quick and Easy Recipes." It uses two items many savvy shoppers have in their pantry: mustard and Tabasco sauce.
To read more about how I learned to save an average of 40 percent on my weekly grocery bill, read my first Frugal Feasts post.
Mark Bittman's Deviled Chicken Thighs
8 chicken thighs or a mixture of thighs and drumsticks, about 2 pounds
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
1/3 cup minced shallot, onion or scallion
1/4 teaspoon cayenne or Tabasco sauce, or to taste
Minced fresh parsley for garnish, optional
Preheat the broiler to its maximum and set the rack about 4 inches from the heat. Season the chicken on both sides and place it in a pan, skin side up. Broil, watching carefully, until the skin is golden brown, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the mustard, shallot and cayenne. If you have a small food processor, just throw them in there and pulse the machine on and off a few times.
When the chicken has browned, remove it from the oven and turn it. Spread just a teaspoon or so of the mustard mixure on the underside of the chicken and broil for about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken and spread the remaining mixture on the skin side. Broil until the mustard begins to brown, about five minutes.
At this point, the chicken may be done (there will be only the barest trace of pink near the bone, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the meat will read 160 degrees F.) If the chicken is not done, turn off the broiler and let the chicken remain in the oven for another five minutes or so. Garnish with parsley if you like and serve. Makes four servings.
Cost breakdown:
- Perdue chicken thighs, 5 1/2 pound package, $6.54. Cost for meal: $2.38
- Dijon mustard, 9.5 ounce bottle, $2.29. Cost for meal: 33 cents
- Yellow onion, 99 cents a pound. Cost for meal: 19 cents
- Tabasco sauce, 2-ounce bottle, $1.61. Cost for meal: 2 cents
Total for dish: $2.92
Total per serving: 73 cents
Note: Based on the advice of two helpful readers, Nancy Shoemaker and Rebecca Currie, I've broken down the cost based on how much is used for this meal, as opposed to the total cost of ingredients. I did not include the cost of salt and pepper, assuming everyone has those. Many of you will likely already have mustard and Tabasco sauce, which means this meal will cost less for you. Your meal may cost more if you choose to use shallots or green onions, which cost more. If your kitchen is not already well-stocked, these recipes will help you build up your pantry.
