Skip to main content

Nearly Melissa’s Jammy Tomato Chicken

This is an easy one-dish chicken number, closely recreating Melissa Clark's inspiration from the New York Times.  I used bacon, with no pancetta in the house.  And I upped the brown sugar just a tad to counteract the earthy tones of the paprika. Also, I augmented with one chicken breast for a loved one who prefers the white meat.


1/4 lb bacon (or Pancetta), chopped
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, halved
1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 3-4 large pieces
2 dozen grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise

Sauce:
1 Tbsp Pimenton - smokey sweet Spanish paprika
1 Tbsp dark brown sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon, about 1-1/2 Tbsp
4-6 cloves garlic, smashed
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp Herbs de Provence, or Italian herbs

Preheat oven to 425F.  Cook bacon in a large oven-going skillet - I like cast iron. 
Meanwhile whisk together the sauce ingredients. 
When the bacon has browned up a bit, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Brown the chicken pieces on both sides - about 2-3 minutes per side.  You should have enough bacon fat to brown the chicken; if not add a dash of olive oil. 

When the chicken pieces are brown, pour the sauce evenly over all the chicken.  Then scatter the bacon, tomatoes and a dash more herbs on top of the chicken.
Bake the chicken for about 15 minutes.  Stir the tomatoes a bit, without disturbing the chicken.  Then cook about another 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
Serves 4.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Chicken Piccata over Squid Ink Pasta

Serve this delicious lemony piccata over your favorite pasta. 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2-inch thick cutlets 1/4 cup flour 1 lemon sliced and de-seeded  2 Tbsp butter plus 1 Tbsp olive oil 2 Tbsp capers 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 cup dry white wine crushed red pepper flakes, to taste 8 oz squid ink pasta fresh parsley for garnish Melt butter in the oil in a skillet.  Fry the lemon slices for a few minutes, just until beginning to brown.   Set aside on a plate.  Lightly salt and pepper each chicken breast.  Dredge the chicken in the flour and brown the first side of each in the butter mixture in the skillet.  Flip to brown second side.  Cook over low heat for a total of about 15 minutes.   Meanwhile, bring 2 quarts of well-salted water to a boil for the pasta.  Cook until just al dente. Remove chicken to a plate when cooked through. Add capers and garlic to skillet a...

Umami Beef Short Ribs Samin Nosrat

This is the penultimate prep for beef short ribs.  Based on the superb documentary by Samin Nosrat, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, this is the most umami rib dish you will ever have.  Its the combination of red miso and soy sauce that marinates and flavors the beef - give it a long time to work right - that means overnight in the fridge; it's worth the planning ahead. 6 beef short ribs on the bone, about 3-4 lb 1 large sweet yellow onion, diced 2 stalks celery, diced 1 jalapeño pepper, minced 4 cloves garlic, halved Marinade: 1/4 cup red miso 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup pale dry sherry or Mirin rice wine 1 Tbsp sesame oil 1 Tbsp honey 2 cloves garlic, minced Salt the ribs generously with coarse salt and let rest overnight in the refrigerator in a resealable plastic bag. Whisk together the marinade.   Pour into the plastic bag and allow to marinate on the counter for about 2-3 hours, or again overnight in the refrigerator. Preheat...

Chicken Quinoa Veggie Bowl

This is a satisfying high veggie, high protein, low fat dinner for those who need comfort and fitness all at the same time. Quinoa: 1 cup multicolor quinoa 2 cups good chicken broth 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes 1 tsp Ajika seasoning (I used Trader Joe’s - see notes) 1 Tbsp parsley, finely minced 1/4 tsp garlic powder 3 Kirby (Israeli, or miniature) cucumbers, sliced 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar (see notes) 1/4 cup cider vinegar Freshly ground pepper 12-14 grape tomatoes, sliced in thirds along their length 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely minced 2 Tbsp favorite vinaigrette dressing (see notes) Salad topping: 4 small Belgian endives, sliced 2 cups radicchio, torn into small pieces 2 cups arugula 2 Tbsp favorite vinaigrette dressing (see notes) 1.3 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch wide strips 1/2 Tbsp butter plus 1/2 Tbsp olive oil 8 oz sugar snap peas 1 yellow pepper, cored and sliced 1/4-inch 1/2 cup dry white wine 1 ripe avocado, halved, cored, peeled and sliced...