Last week I promised you something from
Sam Sifton, the food editor for The New York Times and a good model for MLKers.
As a reviewer, he gathers a lot of recipes from chefs and restauranteurs.
What’s more, he includes at least one no-recipe recipe each week in his Times
food newsletter. A week ago he published over forty of them and they appeared
as a full-size standalone insert in the newspaper. Of course I saved it, and I
may be making these for a long time. What I particularly admire is that he
encourages a cook not to worry about measurements and finicky details—just make
the dish. And use plenty of herbs and spices.
One note: he uses chicken thighs in most
of his chicken recipes. I understand why: they cook well and remain moist and
they’re a convenient single-serving size. But I’ve never been a fan of chicken
thighs, or even chicken legs (not since I was about eight and my mother let me
pick up the leg at dinner and gnaw on it). So I have substituted chicken
breasts, which I (and my cats) prefer. Just don’t overcook them.
Sam
Sifton’s Quick-Roasted Chicken
Ingredients:
Fresh chicken breasts (or thighs, if you
must)
Mayonnaise
Dijon mustard
A lot of chopped fresh tarragon
Salt and pepper
Bread crumbs (I made my own)
(You’ll notice there are no amounts
given. Just mix up enough of the coating to cover however much chicken you’re
making.)
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (yes,
hot).
Mix together a bunch of mayonnaise, some
Dijon mustard, and lots of tarragon in a roomy bowl.
Season the chicken pieces with salt and
pepper, then add them to the bowl with the mayonnaise mixture and toss them to
coat them evenly.
Grease a sheet (flat) pan and put the
chicken pieces on the pan. Cover each piece with a healthy handful of
bread crumbs, then press the crumbs so they stick to the chicken.
Bake in the hot oven for about half an
hour, then test for doneness. If they’re not quite done, cook for another 5-10
minutes. The chicken pieces should be golden brown with a crisp bread-crumb
crust.
Serve with whatever you like—rice,
potatoes, salad or other veggies.
Doesn’t get much easier than that, does
it? Thank you, Sam Sifton.
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I really enjoying reading the recommendations by Sam Sifton. This recipe looks like the kind of good weekday workhorse recipe that I often need.
ReplyDeleteNot long ago I didn't even know who he was. Now I find I'm using a lot of his recipes, which are consistently easy to make and taste good.
DeleteI love Sifton, too! His NYT blog, 3X/week, "What to Cook Tonight" or "What to Cook This Weekend," is a treat. I'm relieved to hear of another person who isn't fond of chicken thighs or legs -- I find them too greasy -- so we often substitute breasts, too.
ReplyDeleteWhile I prefer the dark meat for the richer flavor.
ReplyDeleteThis looks like a real keeper.
I might add a bit of grated cheese and\or garlic.
And feel free to try different herbs. I did kind of like the combination of tangy tarragon with the mustard.
Delete