Chicken with Garlic and Black Pepper

Ingredients: 4 chicken thighs (boned) 1 ½ tsp. coarsely ground black pepper 4 large garlic cloves ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves 1 ½ tbsp. soy sauce 1 tsp. sugar ¼ tsp. chili powder 2 tbsp. vegetable oil Garnishes: chopped mint, cilantro, basil, lime wedges

Procedure: 1.) Rub chicken on both sides with black pepper and set aside. 2.) Peel and mince the garlic. Finely chop the cilantro leaves. Combine the garlic, cilantro leaves, soy sauce, sugar, and chili powder in a bowl and mix well. 3.) Rub this mixture over the chicken and allow to marinate for at least one hour. 4.) Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium high heat. When hot, add chicken pieces, skin- side down and cook for about five minutes, or until the skin is brown and crisp. 5.) Turn chicken over, reduce heat to medium low and cook for another 4 or 5 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. 6.) Remove chicken from pan and place on cutting board, skin-side up. Cut each thigh into three strips. Garnish with chopped herbs and serve with a wedge of lime to squeeze over the top. 7.) You can make a nice sauce by pouring off the excess fat from the pan and adding ¼ cup of water. Put it over a medium flame and bring to a low boil. Scrape up the browned bits with a wooden spoon and let it reduce and become thick. Spoon it over the chicken.

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