THE MINIMALIST; Chicken With a Nip

CHICKEN thighs have a huge advantage over lean breasts. The skin browns nicely and the meat stays juicy even when thoroughly cooked, which makes them ideal for grilling or broiling.

The dark, rich meat also responds brilliantly to the strong equatorial flavors often associated with grilling. The Mexican-inspired treatment here, a quick liquid rub for the thighs, packs plenty of punch, even if you use just a little cayenne. What makes it evoke Mexico is the combination of two characteristic spices, cumin and oregano, with a mixture of orange and lime juices to simulate the sour orange that is used in the Yucatán but is rarely seen in this country.

To make it you just purée garlic, onion and the spices with the juices to a paste in a blender. I'm not usually a fan of marinating, but rubbing the thighs with this mixture and letting them sit 30 minutes or so seems to allow the flavor to permeate the meat, however subtly.

If there is any challenge to grilling or broiling chicken thighs, it involves moderating the heat. If it's too high, the fatty skin can catch fire. To prevent this in the broiler, simply move the rack four to six inches away from the heat source. On a grill, move the rack far from the heat, if you can. On a gas grill, use low heat, or cover the grill until most of the fat has dripped off the meat. With charcoal, let the heat burn somewhat past its maximum intensity before beginning to cook, and cover the grill part of the time.

Boneless thighs cook faster and are neater to eat. You can easily remove the bone: feel for it with your fingers, cut on either side of it with a paring knife and just pull it out. Or you can cook the thighs with the bone; just allow a few minutes more.

MEXICAN-FLAVORED CHICKEN THIGHS

Time: 30 to 60 minutes

4 cloves garlic, peeled

1 small onion, quartered