Chicken Thighs

5unflower

Looking for some advice on chicken thighs here, I was hoping to buy boneless and skinless ones today but couldn't find any. I lived in the UK for the last 2 years where the boneless/skinless version is readily available in every supermarket, but this doesn't seem to be the case here...would butchers sell them boneless/skinless or would I simply have to do it myself? Guessing this could be a messy job...?
Especially for curries I prefer thighs over breast, but not too fond of the skin in a curry. Any tips?

Swiper the fox

Tesco's in Limerick often has them but not always, assume the same goes countrywide. I've never seen them elsewhere, too much trouble I'd imagine for a butcher to have them on display certainly but if you have a relationship with your butcher(no smartarse comments please:p) and he joints chickens then I'm sure he'd do it for you, thighs are indeed the business in a curry.

the beer revolu

Dunne's used to do chicken thigh fillets.

brick tamland

Ive got them in Tescos before. I think only the bigger stores stock them. Weren't cheap either

MissFlitworth

Tesco sell them, they used to be decently priced but up to the same price as chicken fillet now. I buy skin-on, bone in thighs and do the necessary myself, it's a little time consuming but grand to do. Skin comes off really easily, you just peel it back. Bone is a bit of a pain but very doable, take a look from 1.05 here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lad6CdC_roc

LaChatteGitane

I'm not sure about Lidl Ireland, but I buy them in Lidl Belgium.:)

5unflower

Thanks for the quick replies. I guess I might just give the de-boning and -skinning a go some day. Paying as much as for fillets kinda defeats the purpose of going for the "cheaper" cut in the first place :-) But I'll definitly keep an eye out for it in the various supermarkets, and will also ask in the butcher's...tho since I'm relatively new to the area I don't have a relationship with my butcher just yet ;-)

Mrs Fox

The butchers would be more than happy to debone them for you. But they are available in Tesco.

Alun

I use chicken thighs in curries and de-skin them, as like the OP I don't really like chicken skin in stews / curries, but I just leave the bones in, such as they are, .. life's too short to mess about removing them IMO. Plus the bones add flavour.

Curry Addict

its madness to cook chicken thighs without skin and bone
all that flavor your missing!
simply cook them in your curry/stew/whatever, remove them, shred them and add the chicken back into the dish.... guaranteed your dish will taste better :pac:

hdowney

5unflower wrote: »

Looking for some advice on chicken thighs here, I was hoping to buy boneless and skinless ones today but couldn't find any. I lived in the UK for the last 2 years where the boneless/skinless version is readily available in every supermarket, but this doesn't seem to be the case here...would butchers sell them boneless/skinless or would I simply have to do it myself? Guessing this could be a messy job...?
Especially for curries I prefer thighs over breast, but not too fond of the skin in a curry. Any tips?

Hahahahaha! I laugh because I have been playing the deboning game with chicken thighs for the last few weeks. Nowhere round here seems to have them at all which does my nut in. Not even my butcher. Although I am going to be having some polite words with him!

EZ24GET

If you do it yourself all you need is a sharp knife and you can boil the skins and bones for a nice broth. very economical. or save up the fat skins and fry them up into some nice chicken butter- wonderful in lots of stuff.

CuppaCocoa

It's getting harder to source these now. Tesco used to do them but only a few of the bigger branches seem to stock them now. However, Marks & Spencer have started stocking them! (skinless & boneless). Very happy to see them there and the same price if a bit cheaper than Tesco!

hdowney

Nearest M&S to me is a half hour plus drive away

rubadub

brick tamland wrote: »

Weren't cheap either

5unflower wrote: »

Paying as much as for fillets kinda defeats the purpose of going for the "cheaper" cut in the first place :-)

I have seen them skinned & deboned and with bones with skin in a few supermarkets. I have never, ever, seen them significantly cheaper than fillets. Yet I constantly hear about them being so cheap, from chefs on TV, cook books & people online. Dunno how this rumour started!

The boned ones can appear cheap per kilo, when actual meat weight is calculated they are not much cheaper. Though many will prefer the taste.

5unflower

I had a closer look in my local Tesco and they didn't have them, thanks for all other suggestions anyway. Next time making a curry I'll give the skinning and deboning a go. I'm aware that this is where the flavour comes from, but I yet have to be convinced of chicken skin in a curry being a good thing :-D

Regarding thighs being cheaper than breasts, I can only speak of my experience in the UK where thighs (skinless and boneless) were £3-4 per kilo cheaper than breast fillets.

the beer revolu

rubadub wrote: »

I have never, ever, seen them significantly cheaper than fillets. Yet I constantly hear about them being so cheap, from chefs on TV, cook books & people online. Dunno how this rumour started!

Not much good for anyone outside of Cork but Moynahan's in The English Market do thighs - bone in, skin on - for €0.30 each (guaranteed Irish, antibiotic and GMO free). They do boned thigh fillets too but I'm not sure how much they are but no doubt way cheaper than the breasts.

rubadub

5unflower wrote: »

I can only speak of my experience in the UK where thighs (skinless and boneless) were £3-4 per kilo cheaper than breast fillets.

How much were the breasts per kilo?

In the butchers I get 10 fillets for €10 which are 130-140g, so say 1.35kg, thats €7.40 per kilo. I saw they come in packs of 25 with 130-140g listed (I verified as correct!) and are seemingly irish origin. I never noticed thighs on sale, or listed as on offer, might ask next time.


Tesco Chicken Thigh Fillets 500G €5.19 (€10.68/kg)
Tesco Chicken Fillets 310G €3.99 (€12.88/kg) -as this is smaller I would expect it to be more per kilo anyway


Tesco Chicken Thighs 825G €4.15 (€0.40/100g)
These are with bones, so depending on the yield it could be dearer than fillet ones. Some might value the bones & skin highly though.

Tesco Everyday Value Chicken Thighs 1000G €3.29 (€3.29/kg)

5unflower

rubadub wrote: »

How much were the breasts per kilo?

Sorry, can't remember exact prices, but breast fillets were usually around £9-10 per kilo, thigh fillets around £6-7 per kilo (with skin and bones obviously even cheaper around £4-5 I think) in the likes of Sainsburys or Tesco over there. There weren't really any independent butchers in the area where I lived, so I'm glad to be able to buy my meat from a good butchers shop over here again, nevermind whether they sell skinless and boneless chicken thighs or not Either way, I'm having chicken curry tonight, this time with breast fillets, simply because I had them in the freezer

Bloody*Mary

Try steaming them for a few minutes before removing the skin.

Much easier.

nochee

I got 10 chicken thighs in the English Market in Cork (the poultry stall there by the fountain) for 2.70! Had the bones in them, got them de-skinned, best for curries I think!

Stheno

LaChatteGitane wrote: »

I'm not sure about Lidl Ireland, but I buy them in Lidl Belgium.:)

My local Lidl have them with bones and skin only

BailMeOut

Just ask the butcher in your supermarket. You can pick up the packaged ones from fridge and bring over to the butcher to de-done/skin. They will put the thighs back in the same packaging with same price label and run for cling film around it.

..that's what Supervalu do and I do this about once a week.