Suburban duck breasts

To invent dinner when you have no recipe; and to pretend that nice, dark meat chicken thighs are duck breasts when you have no duck breasts:

... and you've tried finding them. The supermarkets don't carry them. The local little specialty meat market doesn't carry them. (You've asked.) All those in-the-know urban, professional people who live around the corner from bustling quaint gourmet shops and write excellent recipes for magazines and books don't quite realize. But, since a certain cut of beef was once sold as "City chicken" in the days when chicken was more expensive than beef, shall I now christen chicken thighs as "Suburban duck breasts"? Why not? If it will bring me eternal fame I might consider it.

But really.

... saute chopped onions and celery in olive oil or butter or a combination. Add sliced mushrooms and sliced fresh garlic.



Remove the vegetables from the pan, and then briefly brown four or five boneless, skinless chicken thighs. The thighs are sold nicely rolled up in the shrink wrapped tray. Open the meat out and flatten it to be sure that it starts to cook and continues to cook thoroughly.



When the thighs are lightly seared, return the vegetables to pan, add a quarter cup or so of wine, and simmer gently for about half an hour. Any herbs like thyme or tarragon would also be a good addition now.

Thicken the gravy and serve with mashed potatoes or brown rice.



Just about any wine would go well with this, I think. A rich malbec, a Rioja if you are in the mood for a red, or a riesling or perhaps one of those flavorful but strangely woody pinot grigios -- the millenium has arrived again, I finally tasted a Santa Margherita -- if you are in the mood for a white.