One Pan, Two Plates (29 page)

Pan-Roasted Chicken Leg Quarters

with
THYME, SWEET POTATOES,
and
PINEAPPLE

One of the best ways to make whole chicken leg quarters—the thigh-plus-leg pieces—more interesting is to stuff something flavorful between the skin and the meat. This is one of those times when a compound butter (a little butter mashed up with any variety of flavorings) really delivers. In order to keep things simple, I used minced garlic and fresh thyme, but you could try other herb-butter blends and/or add a little grated lemon zest, capers, or shallot the next time you whip up this dish. The sweet potatoes cook up tender and tasty in the chicken’s juices and the pineapple adds a touch of sweet and tart that reminds me of those Thanksgiving sweet potato casseroles from our childhood . . . minus the marshmallows, of course.

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START TO FINISH
1 hour

...

HANDS-ON TIME
25 minutes

...

serves 2

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2 tsp minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 tsp minced fresh thyme

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 whole chicken leg quarters (legs and thighs connected, see “It’s that easy”)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

1 shallot, chopped

2 small or 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-in/2.5-cm cubes

1 cup/170 g diced fresh or canned pineapple

½ cup/120 ml chicken broth

1.
Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C/gas 5.

2.
Combine 1 tsp of the parsley, all of the thyme, the garlic, and butter in a small bowl and mash it all together. Working with one leg quarter at a time, gently slide your fingers under the skin to separate it from the meat and push half of the herb butter under the skin, pressing it evenly over the surface of the meat. Sprinkle the chicken all over with salt and pepper.

3.
Heat a 12-in/30.5-cm ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. When the oil shimmers, add the chicken, skin-side down, and brown it on the first side, without moving it, about 3 minutes. Turn and brown the other side, about 3 minutes. Don’t try to turn the chicken if it’s stuck to the bottom of the pan; it will release once it is sufficiently browned. Transfer to a plate. (It will not be fully cooked at this point.)

4.
Carefully pour off all but 2 tbsp of the fat in the pan. (An easy way to accomplish this is to pour the fat over a wad of paper towels in the sink. Once the fat cools, discard the paper towels.) Add the shallot, sweet potatoes, ½ tsp salt, and a few grinds of pepper to the oil in the hot pan and sauté until the vegetables begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the pineapple and chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken and any juices accumulated on the plate, laying the chicken pieces on top of the potatoes. Transfer to the oven and roast the chicken and vegetables until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender, about 35 minutes.

5.
Divide the chicken and potatoes between two warmed plates, sprinkle with the remaining 1 tsp parsley, and serve hot.

it’s that easy:
If you can’t find whole chicken legs, just buy 2 thighs and 2 drumsticks. The meat may cook a little more quickly since the pieces are separated. Check for doneness a few minutes sooner than directed, inserting an instant-read thermometer into the thickest section of the leg. It should read 165°F/74°C for cooked poultry.

extra hungry?
Add a serving of microwave steam-in-the-bag green peas. Couldn’t be easier.

in the glass:
In light of the sweet potatoes and pineapple, a white wine with a touch of sweetness would be my choice here. For fun, search out a bottle of Viognier from Oxford Landing or a Russian River Valley Chardonnay from Michael Pozzan or DeLoach.

ANGLING FOR MORE

CHAPTER 4

fish dinners

Thyme-Rubbed Salmon

with
SHALLOTS
and
CARAMELIZED CAULIFLOWER “RISOTTO”

Roasted cauliflower is one of the most delectable of vegetables. For years, I made a popular roasted cauliflower gratin in cooking classes; I loved the results so much, I morphed the gratin into a risotto-like dish of delicate, tender, tiny bits of chopped cauliflower. The trick to capturing that roasted flavor is in caramelizing the cauliflower over high heat so that it browns beautifully before being tossed with a little cream. It’s positively last-meal-worthy when paired with a simple herb-rubbed salmon. So few ingredients, so much flavor.

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START TO FINISH
25 minutes

...

HANDS-ON TIME
20 minutes

...

serves 2

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Two 6-oz/170-g salmon fillets, skin removed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ tsp minced fresh thyme (see “It’s that easy”), plus a few small sprigs for garnish

3 tbsp olive oil

2 shallots, minced

½ head cauliflower, finely chopped

½ cup/120 ml heavy cream

1.
Pat the fillets dry and sprinkle all over with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the minced thyme over the fish and pat it lightly with your fingers so that it sticks.

2.
Heat a 12-in/30.5-cm skillet with a lid over medium-high heat and add 1 tbsp of the olive oil. When the oil shimmers, add the salmon to the pan and cook until browned on the first side, about 2 minutes. Flip the fish with a thin-edged spatula and cook the other side until browned, another minute or so. Transfer the fish to a plate. (It will not be fully cooked at this point.)

3.
Add the shallots to the hot pan and sauté until they begin to soften, about 30 seconds. Add the cauliflower, ¼ tsp salt, a few grinds of pepper, and the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil and toss to coat the cauliflower with the oil. Allow the cauliflower to cook undisturbed until it begins to brown, about 3 minutes. Flip the cauliflower over, scraping the bottom of the pan with the spatula, and cook, undisturbed, until the other side browns, another 3 minutes or so. Taste and adjust the seasoning. If the cauliflower is still a little too crunchy for your taste, don’t worry. Pour in the cream and give it a stir. It will boil almost immediately. Top the
vegetables with the fish. Cover and cook over low heat until the fish flakes easily, about 2 minutes longer.

4.
Mound the cauliflower “risotto” into two warmed shallow bowls and top it with the fish. (If you’re wondering where the cream went, the cauliflower absorbed most of it up deliciously.) Garnish the plate with the thyme sprigs and serve hot.

it’s that easy:
Thyme has woody stems, so it’s best to strip the leaves from the stems before chopping them up into a fine mince. To do this, hold the thyme sprig on the tender end and strip the leaves against the grain (that is, in the opposite direction they are pointing) with your other hand. No worries if the tender tip pulls off; those can be minced up with the stripped leaves.