Lazy Chicken

I hardly ever follow recipes exactly as they are written. Sometimes I do, like the first time I cook something (or when I'm baking), but most of the time, I don't bother to pull out the recipe book, and I'm always making alterations and substitutions. Let's call it "flexible cooking." When friends ask me for cooking help, they get a little frustrated with my vague answers:

Friend: At what temperature did you bake it?

Me: 350... Or maybe 400... 375! I'm not sure... I bet I use a different temperature each time. 

Friend: And for how long?

Me: Until it's done.

Yes, I can be very unhelpful at times. Then there are those recipes I just throw together, and Paul says "this is really good! You should write down what you did!" And of course I don't, and the recipe is forever forgotten. 

But not this time! Because I'm writing it down! And I've made it a few times already, so I haven't forgotten it!

This chicken is so super easy. That's why I call it Lazy Chicken. We usually have it on a Monday, since I buy the chicken fresh that day (not because we like fresh food but because we are all out of frozen chicken and won't have time to thaw it). 

This is so simple. Seriously. Here's your ingredient list:

1. Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. You could probably use drumsticks or wing drumettes too. We use thighs. The key is to have the bones and the skin. 

2. Open your spice cabinet. Pick what goes good on chicken. I use salt and poultry seasoning, which has thyme and sage and something else. Sometimes I'll add pepper or paprika to spice things up. I bet lemon pepper could be good too. Don't know. Haven't tried it. Pick what you like. I don't recommend omitting the salt though. It brings out the flavor. 

Ok, so if that paragraph was too long, you need:

1. Bone-in skin-on chicken thighs

2. Salt and Poultry Seasoning

This is the super awesome lazy part. Open the package of chicken. Sprinkle the salt and seasoning liberally on both sides. 

If you're feeling ambitious, you can even lift the skin and season underneath it so the flavor gets in the meat. I only do this sometimes. I also sometimes trim away the extra fat and skin when I'm being an overachiever, but that is totally optional. 

The fat melts away during cooking, and I peel off the skin (might nibble a bite or two) when I eat it. So it's healthy, right?

Put the chicken in a big oven-safe pan (or Dutch oven if you're fancy--I'm not) skin down. Oh! I just remembered another shortcut: you can sprinkle salt and seasoning on the bottom of the pan for quick, instant seasoning when you place the chicken in there. Remember, skin-side down!

Then depending on how soon dinner is, you can either stick the whole thing in the fridge to let the flavors penetrate the meat or just preheat your oven to... 350? 

While your oven heats, it's time to sear the chicken. Really you're going to cook most of it on the stovetop. Crank the burner up to high, and cook that chicken. No oil needed because it'll cook in its own fat. Yum. It can be a little messy; the melted fat likes to jump out of the pan, so if you have one of those mesh oil guards, it might not be a bad idea to use it. I don't have one. My stovetop gets messy. Avoid this recipe on cleaning day. 

Flip to cook both sides, but definitely give the skin side more time in contact with the pan. When it looks like this, check the temperature with a meat thermometer. If it's 165 (I think), it's done. If it's not done, stick the whole pan into your preheated oven, uncovered, skin side UP this time (it helps keep the skin crispy). 

Check the temperature every 5 minutes or so. Usually at this point, my kids are hovering around the kitchen, wondering if it's dinnertime yet, so I get them to be helpful and set the table. 

By the way, while the chicken is crisping up on the stovetop, you should start cooking your sides. This time we had green beans (from a frozen bag... shame) and macaroni and cheese (from a box... shame again). 

Anyway, when your chicken is ready, it'll look like this. See that crispy skin? Better than a rotisserie chicken from Kroger!

And there you have it. Lazy Chicken. And lazy green beans. And lazy mac and cheese. It's what's for dinner. 

If you're like me and scroll through the rambling part of a blog to get to the succinct recipe, here it is:

Lazy Chicken

Ingredients:

10 chicken thighs

Salt and Poultry Seasoning to taste

Instructions:

1. Sprinkle salt and seasoning into a large oven-safe pan or dutch oven, and place the chicken thighs in the pan skin-side down. 

2. Liberally sprinkle the other side of the chicken with salt and seasoning. 

3. If not cooking immediately, refrigerate. Otherwise, preheat oven to 350F. 

4. Sear chicken on the stovetop, flipping once or twice, until skin is golden. 

5. Check internal temperature with a meat thermometer. If it does not read 165F, put it in the oven. Check temperature every 5 minutes until done. 

6. Enjoy!

 

8 courses for 8 years

Yesterday we celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary by going to Artisans for an incredible dinner. Among their many delicious offerings, there was an 8-course chef-selected tasting menu. No pre-set dishes, totally unique and customized. The catch? You have to reserve this special dinner at least a few days in advance for planning purposes. And we didn't know about it until we sat down with our menus. Lucky for us, it was a Tuesday. And we were the only people in the restaurant for the first hour. And the chef was feeling creative. So he accomodated our whim and gave us one of the absolute best dining experiences ever. At one point, the owner dropped by our table and asked if we'd be back for 30 courses for our 30th anniversary, and then it dawned on us: 8 courses for 8 years! How perfect!

We had such a nice time. We were a little early for our reservations, so we stopped in to the Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral to thank Jesus for the past 8 years and ask him to continue to bless our marriage and our family. It was Paul's idea, and I thought it was the perfect start to our date. I love being in quiet, empty churches. I feel so safe and peaceful. 

The church gets locked up at 6pm, so it was time to make our way to the restaurant. 

And then our incredible night of eating (and drinking!) followed. We started with a glass of champagne while we watched Chef Russell, pen and paper in hand, brainstorm what he'd cook for us. 

Course 1: Amuse Bouche of cucumber with... I don't even know what on top. Spicy, creamy, cool, all in one bite. The tiny 2-pronged fork was neat too. 

Score: 8/10

Course 2: Lamb Carpaccio with quail egg, blue cheese, apple jelly, baby spinach, and pink peppercorns. Get a bite with a little bit of everything, and it's a party in your mouth. And I don't even like blue cheese. 

Score: 9/10

Wine: Burgundy (which is apparently French Pinot Noir)

Course 3: Seared scallop with pea risotto, "copper pennies" (aka carrots), topped with red peppers and a creamy sauce. I'm not a fan of peas... But this was good. The scallop was cooked perfectly, the risotto creamy and delicious. 

Score: 9/10

Wine: Chablis (which is apparently French Chardonnay)

The food was so good, but what put the experience over the top was the service, the attention to detail, and just watching the process unfold in the open kitchen. At one point, there were about 5 people staring at our food, wiping the dish, garnishing, making it perfect. 

Course 4: Duck ravioli, foie gras, and cold duck breast in a mushroom reduction. This was my first time eating foie gras. I hope it's not my last. And the ravioli was divine. Freshly made. Just for us. Insane. The whole dish was excellent. Plus we just plain love duck. 

Score: 10/10 

Wine: Sauternes

Course 5: Saffron prawn, fresh tomatoes, hand-cut pasta, basil. This dish seemed simpler and was not as impressive as some of the others; that said, it was still excellent. It apparently hails from the chef's Louisiana roots. We watched as he squeezed shrimp head juice into the bowls. Yum!

Score: 8/10

Wine: Chardonnay

Course 6: Beef filet, purple potato, crispy brussels sprouts, wild mushrooms. Oh. Sweet. Heaven... on my plate! Well worth the wait. We watched the chef try to plate something that just wasn't working out for him, and he frustratedly tossed it. Then he sent us a palate cleanser of champagne with pineapple sorbet to buy some time as he realized he had been working on a cheese course before making us an entree (which made me wonder what the past 2 courses had been!). Then this plate came. Sooo good. So. Freaking. Good. The crispy brussels sprouts, the perfectly seasoned potato, the medium rare steak... Did I mention the crispy brussels sprouts? The picture doesn't look like much because we were losing daylight, but trust me: this was the best.

Score: this one goes to 11/10

Wine: Zinfandel

For an 8-course tasting, the portions were very generous, and we were getting full with still 2 courses to go!

Course 7: Goat cheese puff pastry topped with honey, pear, arugula, and edible flowers. Light, fresh, and just right. 

Score: 9/10

Wine: Riesling

Course 8: chocolate cake with chocolate mousse and a bruleed strawberry on the left; panna cotta with mango sorbet on the right. Strawberry kiwi blobs all around. The chocolate was rich. The panna cotta was refreshing. Good yin and yang. 

Score: 9/10

Wine: 20-year Tawny Port with the chocolate cake; Ruby Port with the panna cotta. 

Not even half of our wine glasses:

After we finished eating and drinking, we were offered a tour of the kitchen. Of course we accepted! So very cool. As we walked through, I noticed a tray of bonbons that were half-made, and I thought it was awesome that they make their own chocolate candies. 

We returned to our table, then this box arrived. 

It was our check. They bring it in a box. 

After we paid, our waitress brough us a much more fun box. 

Bonbons to take home! Yay!

This was a truly unique experience and a wonderful way to celebrate our anniversary. When we got home, we looked at wedding pictures together and then went to bed. Full bellies, full hearts. Here's to many more courses!