Smoked and Glazed Chicken Thighs
Description
Bone-in chicken thighs are rubbed with a salty lavender blend, then smoked and glazed with a sweet and sour strawberry gastrique that's impressive enough for a dinner party.
Ingredients
•
4 cups hulled fresh strawberries
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1/2 cup white sugar
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1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar
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1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
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1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
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3 applewood chunks, for smoking
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3 tablespoons dried lavender
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1 tablespoon kosher salt
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1 teaspoon ground black pepper
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8 (8 ounce) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
Directions
1
Prepare the strawberry gastrique: Puree strawberries in a blender on high speed until completely smooth, about 1 minute.
2
Cook sugar in a medium skillet over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until completely melted, amber in color, and nutty in aroma, about 5 minutes. Carefully add vinegar (mixture will crystallize immediately and begin to boil) and reduce heat to low. Cook sugar mixture, stirring frequently, until crystallized sugar is completely dissolved, about 5 minutes. Add strawberry puree and thyme and bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in salt. Cover to keep warm until ready to use.
3
Prepare chicken: Open the bottom vent of a grill completely. Light a charcoal chimney starter filled with briquettes. When briquettes are covered with gray ash, pour them onto the bottom grate of grill, and then push to 1 side of grill. Place 3 to 4 applewood chunks on top of hot coals. Coat top grate with oil. Cover grill and insert an instant-read thermometer into a vent in the lid.
4
Stir together lavender, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Sprinkle chicken thighs evenly and liberally with lavender mixture.
5
Place chicken thighs on the preheated grill, skin-side up, over the side without coals. Cover and smoke, maintaining temperature inside smoker between 225 and 250 degrees F (107 to 120 degrees C), for 1 1/2 hours. Brush with 1/4 cup gastrique, cover again, and smoke until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 170 degrees F (76 degrees C), 15 to 30 more minutes.
6
Transfer chicken thighs to a large plate or platter and brush lightly with another 1/4 cup gastrique. Let rest for 10 minutes. Serve with remaining gastrique, if desired.