Chicken thighs braise low and gentle in soy sauce until the skin crisps and the meat turns silken. The sauce clings to rice and lets you use less heat than you would think. A shelf that holds one soy sauce asks for something simple and direct.

Serves 2. 40 minutes, 8 at the stove.

About 810 calories a serving, 44 g protein, 110 g carbohydrate, 19 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Start rice with 1 and 1/2 cups water in a pot, bring to a boil, cover and set heat to low. While it cooks, pat 4 bone-in chicken thighs dry with paper towels and season with a pinch each of salt and pepper on both sides.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Lay the chicken thighs skin-side down and don't move them for 5 minutes until the skin browns and releases. Turn them skin-side up.5 min
3. Mince 3 cloves of garlic and 1 ounce of fresh ginger. Chop 1 small onion into thin slices. Scatter them over the chicken.
4. Pour 1/2 cup soy sauce and 1/4 cup water around (not over) the chicken. Bring to a simmer, then cover and lower the heat so it barely bubbles. Braise for 25 minutes, turning the chicken over halfway through and spooning sauce over it each time. The sauce will thicken and cling to the meat; when the rice is tender, the chicken is done.25 min
5. Fluff the rice with a fork. Divide it between two plates and set a chicken thigh on each, skin-side up. Spoon the pan sauce and vegetables over the rice and chicken.

Note Swap bone-in chicken breasts for thighs if you prefer, though add 5 minutes to the braise. Leftovers keep three days in the fridge; reheat gently with a splash of water. Serve with steamed bok choy or a quick cucumber salad dressed with rice vinegar and a pinch of salt.