I’m a huge fan of chicken thighs. In my opinion, they’re juicier and tastier than breasts -- and much less expensive. Lately, I’ve been obsessed with the boneless, skinless variety. I toss them into stir-fry, curry or anywhere a recipe calls for boneless, skinless breasts. My hands-down favorite strategy, however, is also the simplest. I call them Crispy Thighs, and I can literally throw them together in the time it takes to boil water for pasta.

Here’s the deal: Take a pack of thighs, rinse them off, pat them dry, rub with a little olive oil, and lay them out nice and flat on a broiler pan. Then, it’s just a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and in they go under a broiler set on high. I usually put the thighs about 3 inches beneath the flame and keep them there until they are crisp, or about 10 minutes. Then I turn them over and follow the same routine. They’re almost impossible to mess up. It seems the longer you broil them, the crispier and more delicious they get.

At this point, you have options. Serve them plain to fussy kids who don’t like “stuff” on their food. Or douse them with olive oil and lemon juice, some leftover pasta sauce or even Italian dressing. Give it a go. I practically guarantee your gang will go gaga.