Sheet-Pan Chicken With Sweet Potatoes and Fennel

Credit New York Times

Sheet-Pan Chicken With Sweet Potatoes and Fennel

Yewande Komolafe

• Yield 4 servings
• Time 45 minutes

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Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.

This easy, sheet-pan dinner sings thanks to its zingy vinaigrette of sharp pecorino, warming cracked pepper and bright lemon — which you’ll want to slather on everything. These flavors really get a chance to shine drizzled on top of roast chicken and seasonal vegetables. Don’t be afraid to substitute the sweet potatoes and fennel with whatever vegetables you have on hand. Serve the dish with a handful of leafy greens and a generous amount of the vinaigrette.

Poultry, Chicken Breast, Fennel, Pecorino, Sweet Potato, Dinner, Weekday, Weeknight, Main Course

533 ratings

Ingredients

• 2 ½ to 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (about 10 to 12 ounces each)
• ½ cup olive oil
• Kosher salt
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 1/4 pounds)
• 1 small fennel bulb, cut into 1-inch wedges, fronds chopped and reserved
• ¼ cup white wine vinegar
• 1 lemon, zested, plus 2 tablespoons juice
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• 1 ½ teaspoons black pepper, plus more to taste
• 1 cup crumbled or grated pecorino cheese
• ¼ cup parsley, leaves and tender stems
• 4 cups leafy greens, such as baby spinach or torn kale (optional)

• Nutritional Information

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, toss chicken with 2 tablespoons oil. Season with salt and arrange on a large rimmed baking sheet, skin-side up.
2. In the same bowl, toss potatoes and fennel with 2 tablespoons oil. Season with salt and arrange in an even layer around the chicken.
3. Roast until chicken and potatoes are a deep golden brown and fennel is starting to caramelize at the edges, about 35 to 45 minutes.
4. As chicken cooks, combine vinegar, lemon zest and juice, mustard, garlic and 1 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Whisk in remaining 1/4 cup olive oil in a thin stream and stir in pecorino. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board to rest. Toss the fennel fronds and parsley with the roasted vegetables.
6. To serve, cut the chicken off the bone and slice. Divide chicken and vegetables among plates. Serve with a handful of leafy greens if you like, and spoon the pecorino vinaigrette over everything.

Garlicky chicken with lemon anchovy sauce (Stolen from the New York TImes)

Garlicky Chicken With Lemon-Anchovy Sauce

Melissa Clark

• Yield4 servings
• Time25 minutes

There’s nothing wrong with a dinner of pan-seared chicken seasoned with salt and pepper. But there’s everything right about the same chicken when you add anchovies, capers, garlic and plenty of lemon to the pan. What was once timid and a little dull turns vibrant, tangy and impossible to stop eating. And the only real extra work is chopping the garlic and a little parsley for garnish. In this dish, the cut of chicken is less important than the pungent pan sauce. Most people will probably want to use the workhorse of all poultry dinners, the boneless, skinless breasts. But the thighs cook nearly as quickly, and have a greater margin of error in terms of doneness. Overcook your breasts by even a minute, and you’ll get dry, tough meat. Thighs are more forgiving. However, if your family insists on white meat, you can substitute breasts and subtract about 3 minutes from the cooking time. There is no need to mention the anchovies until after people have complimented you on the meal.

Featured in: Anchovies Elevate A Pan Seared Chicken Dish. 

Anchovy, Chicken

1,423 ratings

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (4 to 5 thighs)
• 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 5 anchovy fillets
• 2 tablespoons drained capers, patted dry
• 1 large pinch chile flakes
• 1 lemon, halved
• Fresh chopped parsley, for serving

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and let rest while you prepare the anchovy-garlic oil. Mince one of the garlic cloves and set it aside for later. In a large, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the 5 smashed whole garlic cloves, the anchovies, capers and chile. Let cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up the anchovies, until the garlic browns around the edges and the anchovies dissolve, 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Add the chicken thighs and cook until nicely browned on one side, 5 to 7 minutes. Flip the thighs, place the pan in the oven and cook another 5 to 10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
3. When chicken is done, transfer thighs to a plate (be careful, as the pan handle will be hot). Place skillet back on the heat and add minced garlic and the juice of one lemon half. Cook for about 30 seconds, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Return chicken to the pan and cook it in the sauce for another 15 to 30 seconds.
4. Transfer everything to a serving platter. Squeeze the remaining lemon half over the chicken and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve.

Chicken Diavolo from Ruth Reichl

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Chicken Diavolo

Kim Severson

• Yield3 to 4 servings

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Melina Hammer for The New York Times

Ruth Reichl developed this crispy, spicy chicken after eating pollo alla diavola at Lupa restaurant in New York. The actual cooking time is short, but the recipe does require making the chile oil in advance and marinating the chicken. She suggests buying hot chile oil if you are in a hurry. Be careful; the chicken can produce a lot of smoke in cooking.

Featured in: Ruth Reichl Recharges In The Kitchen. 

Chicken

17 ratings

Delicious!

Ingredients

• 2 large jalapeño chiles
• 2 serrano chiles
• ¾ cup olive oil, plus more for sautéing
• 2 tablespoons hot paprika (or equal parts cayenne and sweet paprika)
• Ground black pepper
• 2 ½ lemons
• Salt
• 1 small chicken, quartered and backbone removed

• 
  

  Nutritional Information

  • Nutritional analysis per serving (3 servings)

    1228 calories; 105 grams fat; 21 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 60 grams monounsaturated fat; 16 grams polyunsaturated fat; 8 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 63 grams protein; 250 milligrams cholesterol; 240 milligrams sodium
  Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
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Preparation

1. Make the chile oil: Chop jalapeño and serrano chiles and put them in a small saucepan with 3/4 cup olive oil. Add hot paprika and grind in a fair amount of black pepper. Steep over medium heat for about 15 minutes. Let sit overnight, or all day.
2. Strain chile oil into a large bowl. Slice 2 lemons and add them to the bowl. Season with salt. Coat chicken with the oil, put in a zip-top bag and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or up to a day.
3. Heat oven to 500. Heat a cast-iron skillet until it’s quite hot (about 5 minutes). Meanwhile, remove the chicken from the chile oil and pat it dry. Sprinkle it with salt and shower it with pepper; you need a lot. Slick the bottom of the pan with olive oil and put the chicken, skin-side down, in the hot skillet. Cook until the skin is crisp and golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Turn the chicken skin-side up.
4. Put the skillet in the oven and roast about 20 minutes, or until a thermometer registers 170 degrees in the thickest part of the thigh. Sprinkle with juice from half a lemon, shower with more pepper and allow to rest 10 minutes before serving.

Dad's Chili Verde

This is my Dad's chile verde recipe.  He uses roasted Pueblo chilis he picks up during the Pueblo chili festival.  Here in Pennsylvania, I find chili poblanos work well, though I have to roast them myself.  Be warned, Pennsylvanians who like bland food - depending on the chili peppers, this recipe can be best for fire-eaters!

Roast garlic: Cut off stem of bulb, exposing cloves.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Roast at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes, until the garlic is buttery and slips out of its skin. DO NOT EAT ALL OF THEM BEFORE ADDING TO CHILI, especially on French bread with red wine.

Roast chilis: Drizzle chili peppers with olive oil, stick on grill or in oven at about 400 degrees, until skin blisters and blackens, but pepper is still tender.  Cool, then peel and chop.

Ingredients:
2 TBs olive oil
2 lbs boneless chicken cubed
1 large onion, chopped
10-12 chili peppers, roasted, peeled and chopped. Or use canned chili peppers. (keep in the seeds to ramp up the heat.)
1 chopped fresh jalapeño (keep in the seeds to ramp up the heat.)
4-5 roasted garlic cloves
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
1 bunch cilantro
2 18 ounce cans tomatillos, drained and chopped
2 large red tomatoes, chopped
14 ounces chicken broth
coarse salt and fresh pepper to taste

1. In large pot, heat oil over medium heat.

2. Brown chicken.  Add onion and cook, stirring often, until onions are translucent.

3.  Add roasted peppers and jalapeño, garlic, oregano, cilantro and cumin. Cook and stir 2 minutes.

4. Add tomatillos and chicken broth and boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, 45 minutes to an hour, or until meat is tender.

5. Season with salt and pepper.  Serve with sourcream and thin slices of jalapeños, if desired.

Serves 4-6.

Chicken with fennel, tomatoes and zucchini

I look forward all year to the fennel from Dancing Hen Farm, outside Benton, just so I can make this recipe.

Ingredients

• 6 (4-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 2 1/2 tablespoons Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
• 5 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• 2 cups thinly sliced fennel bulb (about 2 small bulbs)
• 2 cups finely chopped zucchini 
• 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced leek (about 2 large)
• 1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth 
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
• 1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained 
• 2 tablespoons chopped fennel fronds or fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation

1. Dredge the chicken in breadcrumbs. Heat 3 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken; sauté 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove from pan.
2. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in pan over medium heat. Add fennel bulb, zucchini, and leek; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add broth and next 6 ingredients (broth through tomatoes). Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.
3. Return the chicken to pan; cover and cook 12 minutes or until the chicken is done. Sprinkle with fennel fronds.

Cooking Light 
NOVEMBER 2001

Chicken Tagine with Apricots and Almonds

From Gourmet via Epicurious. I made this in the tagine I haggled for in Morocco! It came out great, both the recipe and the haggling.

My brother Andy and I followed our noses to a restaurant that made the most delicious-smelling tagine in the Old City part of Tangiers. Afterward, I wanted to buy a tagine of my own. We asked a kid in a shop that had tagines in the window, but the boy told us they weren't for sale. Still, he said, he had a friend who would sell us one, and he set off to take us there.

We followed the boy through the maze of streets for what felt like a long way. Right about the time we started to fear we'd been taken in several senses of the word, he stopped in front of a shop door.

We paid him the few cents in coins everyone seems to expect for helping a person out in Tangiers. The shop owner spoke English, and I told him what I wanted. Originally, he tried to charge me the equivalent of about $200!  I offered around $20. We both told each other the other was being ridiculous, and so the haggling began.

"This was handmade - look at the craftsmanship," he told me.

"And Customs officers are going to grill me about it," I replied.

"It's such a large piece of art - think how easily you'll feed your family."

"I'm going to have to lug the heavy thing in my backpack for miles!"

He nodded toward my brother. "You have a handsome, strong young man.  Surely he can afford to buy you this!"

"She's my sister," Andy said, helpfully. "I don't buy her anything."

Finally, we settled on about $80. I know I went away happy, and I'm sure I didn't get the better of the shopkeeper.

photo by John Kernick

yield
Makes 4 servings

active time
30 min

total time
1 1/2 hr

Food editor Maggie Ruggiero tasted this sweet, Moroccan-spiced dish on a recent visit to Marrakech, where chef Lafridi serves it at Jnane Tamsna.

ingredients

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 3 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 (3-lb) chicken, cut into 6 pieces, wings and backbone discarded
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 medium red onion, halved, then sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 5 fresh cilantro
• 5 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons mild honey
• 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
• 1/2 cup dried Turkish apricots, separated into halves
• 1/3 cup whole blanched almonds

• Special equipment: a 10- to 12-inch tagine or heavy skillet; kitchen string

preparation

Stir together ground cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons oil in a large bowl. Add chicken and turn to coat well.

Heat butter and 1 tablespoon oil in base of tagine (or in skillet), uncovered, over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then brown half of chicken, skin sides down, turning over once, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Brown remaining chicken in same manner, adding any spice mixture left in bowl.

Add onion and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt to tagine and cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, until soft, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes. Tie cilantro and parsley into a bundle with kitchen string and add to tagine along with 1/2 cup water, chicken, and any juices accumulated on plate. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 30 minutes.

While chicken cooks, bring honey, remaining cup water, cinnamon stick, and apricots to a boil in a 1- to 2-quart heavy saucepan, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until apricots are very tender (add more water if necessary). Once apricots are tender, simmer until liquid is reduced to a glaze, 10 to 15 minutes.

While apricots cook, heat remaining 1/4 cup oil in a small skillet over moderate heat and cook almonds, stirring occasionally, until just golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.

Ten minutes before chicken is done, add apricot mixture to tagine. Discard herbs and cinnamon stick, then serve chicken sprinkled with almonds on top.