just a lil spring recipe

from winter to the rebirth of spring (AND HERBS)

The funny thing about trying to not be a “recipe with an insanely long and boring essay at the beginning” chef/food blogger, is that every time I extoll about the virtues of not being that kind of food blogger before writing a recipe, I end up writing an insanely long and boring essay at the beginning. Very meta.

So in the interest of actually not being that kind of chef, I will keep this relatively brief and free of my life story. Spring is in the air, and with it comes the first growth of some very wonderful and very green kind of plants. Herbs, spring onions, rhubarb with its bright pink stalk and spray of (poisonous!) green leaves, ramps (which I fully deny are overplayed, as some chefs think- long live the ever versatile and delicious ramp) to name a few.

My main client recently asked me for the recipe for this chicken I make, in the interest of recreating it (or probably having their California chef recreate it, in reality). So I’ll also share it with you! It’s an herb heavy, juicy and crispy bone-in chicken thigh in a delicious and sort of unusual marinade. The star of the dish is the deeply browned and even quasi-burnt fresh herbs, which bear a resemblance to the foundation of a Persian dish I love called ghormeh sabzi. Enjoy :) and if you make it, please let me know how it went!

it might not look like much but like whoooa it’s so good. a client fave for sure

spring chicken

materials needed: large frying pan, bowl for marinating, small sheet pan or baking dish, parchment paper or aluminum foil, kitchen thermometer (if you don’t have one, I hiiighly recommend getting one!! It’s the only sure fire way to control the doneness of your meats).

cook time: 30-45 mins, plus marinating time (I recommend at least an hour)

ingredients:

-four bone-in, skin on chicken thighs (heirloom and pasture raised if at all possible)

-1 cup plain yogurt or my favorite, kefir! I’ve started marinating most of my meats in yogurt, a technique borrowed from Indian and also Greek cuisine. I find it’s not only a great meat tenderizer, but also a sort of flavor enhancer, sort of like salt.

-1-1/12 cups chopped fresh herbs (they should be mostly leafy herbs dill, parsley, oregano, cilantro,) thyme and rosemary if you want. It seems like a lot, and it is lol, but trust me!

-1 heaping tbsp fennel seed

-juice of 1 lemon

-olive oil

-salt and pepper

method:

Place chicken thighs in a large bowl. Add marinade ingredients: yogurt/kefir, herbs, fennel seed, lemon juice, olive oil, fresh ground pepper, and pleeeenty of salt! This not only gives the chicken a really full flavor, but also helps lock in moisture (salt draws out water, leaving a higher ratio of fat, which is how it gets juicy). Rub the marinade into each thigh, sliding some under the skin, and try to arrange the skin so it covers the entire skin-side of the thigh. Marinade for at least an hour.

When ready to cook, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add a generous glug of olive oil and when it’s shimmering, add each chicken thigh to the pan skin-side down. The oil may splatter, so be careful.

Let chicken cook for 5-10 minutes (depending on your stove, heat and specific pan), occasionally pressing down on each thigh with a spatula so that all the skin gets in contact with the pan. Check the skin frequently- when it’s pretty dark (nice and browned and even with some black spots- the herbs will burn a little bit which is what we want! Adds a super savory flavor. Flip the chicken and cook the underside until it’s nice and brown. Flip back to skin side and underside a couple times, a minute or two apart, ensuring a crispy skin and thorough browning.

Turn stove off and remove pan to a cool burner. Prepare a small sheet pan or baking dish with parchment or aluminum foil (this is mostly to ensure easy cleanup). Place chicken skin-side up in the oven to finish cooking. It’s ready when it registers between 175-185 on a kitchen thermometer. *chicken is safe to eat at 165 degrees, but in dark and fattier cuts meat (like chicken thighs and pork ribs) the collagen breaks down at closer to 175 degrees, ensuring a juicier, more tender final product!*

Remove from oven, plate and serve! I like to garnish with a drizzle of kefir or yogurt (you can thin it out with a little water to make it a thin drizzling consistency) and some fresh herbs. It should be shatteringly crispy on top, juicy and flavorful inside. Serve with some spring veg or a salad and starch of choice- I like roasted sweet and baby potatoes!

Happy spring one and all, and hope cooking and eating a delicious dish can help you stay sane during these times :)