Chicken Thigh

Do-ahead tips make this rendition of the Spanish classic perfect for entertaining.

Serve this delicious curried chicken dish with steamed basmati rice or Indian flatbreads.

Marinating the chicken in the yogurt mixture overnight tenderizes the meat and adds a delicious tang.

Serve this tasty, low-fat baked chicken with steamed rice and fresh pineapple slices for a complete meal.

Brandy, apples and cream add a taste of France's Normandy region to this entrée.

Jerk seasoning — here a spicy blend of garlic, onion, chiles, thyme, allspice, nutmeg, and cinnamon, though recipes vary — originated in Jamaica and is traditionally used on pork and chicken. Because the jerk marinade can burn easily, the chicken requires slow cooking on the grill, which also helps keep the meat moist.

This homey soup was inspired by a recipe from Maria, the nanny for Patrick's family. She served warm corn tortillas alongside.

This recipe combines the best of two classic New Orleans dishes — gumbo and jambalaya.

"My grandmother was a reporter in New York before she got married and moved to Montana to start a new life on a ranch," writes Joyce Litz of Albuquerque, New Mexico. "At the time she didn't know how to cook, and learning wasn't easy — the place didn't even have running water. Still, she appreciated good food, so she persevered and became a great cook. Later my grandmother taught me ranch-style cooking, a lot of which involved getting simple but flavorful, hearty meals ready in a hurry."

This variation on the Chinese classic incorporates jícama, which retains the crisp texture of water chestnuts even when cooked.

Here's an updated coq au vin that's from Fringale in San Francisco.

(Rouleaux de Poulet aux Kumquats, Sauce épicé) These spring rolls can also be made with duck instead of chicken.

The intense flavors come from the marinade, which caramelizes on the chicken as it is deep-fried in foil packets. Jee bow gai, the name of the dish in China, is a house specialty at Yank Sing in San Francisco. Have your butcher split the thighs in half for you.

We've based this carbohydrate-rich, one-dish supper on the classic Spanish paella, mixing the lima beans (which stand in for the traditional rice) with tomatoes, chicken and a bit of ham.

These small pizzas from Indigo in Honolulu feature sweet caramelized onions, spicy chicken, and mozzarella, Swiss and provolone cheeses. Refrigerated pizza dough is used here to simplify the recipe. Chili-garlic sauce can be substituted for the Thai chili sauce if necessary.

"Last summer my husband and I took a day trip to the coast of New Hampshire," writes Perrin Enriquez of Cambridge, Massachusetts. "We found a fabulous place in Portsmouth called Lindbergh's Crossing, in a rustic building on the water. I'd love to get the recipes for the amazing fried rabbit and garlic mashed potatoes we had in the upstairs wine bar." For convenience, we substituted chicken for the rabbit used at the restaurant. The gravy can be made ahead of time, but the chicken should be fried just before serving.

You can save some prep time by asking a butcher to cut the chicken thighs in half for you. This dish is particularly good served over orzo.