Introduction: Sous Vide Chicken Thighs With Nectarine Salsa

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About: I helped start Instructables, previously worked in biotech and academic research labs, and have a degree in biology from MIT. Currently head of Product helping young startups at Alchemist Accelerator, previous…

There's little better, or easier, than sous vide chicken thighs. They're the perfect set-it-and-forget-it dinner for a busy day, can be finished with almost any sauce, and keep well in the fridge.

Here I've skipped a pan-finishing step, and just covered the chicken thighs with nectarine salsa.  It was simple and amazing.

Step 1: Prep and Cook Chicken Thighs

Place raw chicken thighs in a vacuum-s

Step 2: Nectarine Salsa

Now make your Nectarine Salsa.  Just chop and combine the following ingredients, and let them macerate while the chicken cooks, at least 30 minutes.

4 ripe nectarines, chopped
1/2 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 bunch scallions, chopped
juice of 1 lemon (or lime)
~ 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon chili powder (or to taste)
~1 Tablespoon fresh mint, basil, or oregano, chopped

Step 3: Serve

Remove the chicken thighs from the bag and arrange on a plate or platter, making sure to reserve all that delicious cooking liquid for a later soup or sauce.

Note that the chicken skin is unappealingly pasty and waterlogged, though still delicious.  Instead of pan-finishing to crisp and color the skin, we're going to take the lazy way out and cover it with a distracting topping of nectarine salsa.  I promise nobody will notice the lack of pan-finishing under all the bright colors and amazingly moist chicken and fruit flavors.

Eat!  Save leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for a couple of days.  They're great cold or reheated.