Baked chicken thighs with citrus, cumin, and oregano

[rosefox]

Note: The canonical recipe uses lime juice. It works perfectly well with lemon juice, or a mix of lemon and lime. If you feel like being adventurous, you can try replacing up to 2 Tbsp of the juice with no-pulp orange or tangerine juice.

Note: The canonical recipe calls for 1 to 3 tsp of crushed or chopped garlic. We generally omit it, but if you like garlic, mix it into the marinade.

Ingredients

2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, or 3.5 lb bone-in chicken thighs with or without skin
1.5 tsp ground cumin
1.5 tsp dried oregano
0.5 c citrus juice
0.25 tsp salt
1 tsp glutinous rice flour, or 0.5 tsp cornstarch
0.25 c finely minced parsley or cilantro

Equipment

Oven (NOT toaster oven)
Stove (1 burner)
9" x 13" baking dish, or two 8" or 9" square baking dishes
Aluminum foil
Paper towels
Measuring cups and spoons
Gallon zip-top bag, or small mixing bowl
Meat thermometer (optional)
Tongs
Large plate
Gravy separator
Small pot
Whisk
Gravy boat, pitcher, or bowl

Instructions

0) Mise en place. Gather your ingredients and tools. Combine the cumin, oregano, citrus juice, and salt in a gallon zip-top bag (if you plan to marinate the chicken) or a small mixing bowl (if you don't). Optionally, line the baking dish(es) with aluminum foil for easier cleanup. Remove the chicken from its packaging and pat it dry with paper towels.

0.5) Optional: marinate the chicken. Put the chicken in the zip-top bag with the marinade, seal it, and shake well. Open a corner of the seal and squeeze the air out. Let marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

1) Bake the chicken. Preheat the oven to 400F. Place the chicken in a single layer in the baking dish(es), skin side up. If you didn't marinate it, pour the marinade over it. Cover the dish(es) tightly with aluminum foil. Bake the chicken 35–45 minutes; it's done when a thermometer in the thickest part of the largest piece measures 170F, or when piercing the meat near the bone gives juices that are clear rather than pink. Use tongs to remove the chicken to a plate, and loosely tent it with foil.

2) Make the sauce. Pour the pan juices into a gravy separator and let them rest for a couple of minutes. In a small pot, off the heat, whisk the glutinous rice flour or cornstarch with an equal quantity of water to form a smooth slurry. Pour the defatted juices into the pot and whisk the slurry in. Heat until bubbling and simmer for 5 minutes to reduce and thicken.

3) Serve and store. Pour the sauce into a gravy boat, pitcher, or small bowl. Sprinkle the parsley or cilantro over the chicken, whisk it into the sauce, or serve it in its own bowl. Bring the plate of chicken to the table. The chicken keeps in the fridge for 5 days, or it can be shredded, mixed with the sauce, and frozen.

Sources:
http://www.glutenanddairyfree.com/recipes/chickencuminlime.html