Chile-Butter Chicken With Vinegared Potatoes

We tried two new recipes. One was a winner, one wasn't. I really liked the Chile-Butter Chicken With Vinegared Potatoes. I always like vinegar with my food. This is an excellent dish. The Little Gems and Cabbage with Pickled Turnips and Lemony Tahini wasn't to our taste. Oh well, still we got a good new recipe. We will make the chicken again!

Little Gems and Cabbage with Pickled Turnips and Lemony Tahini Dressing

Dining In

Alison Roman

Serves 4

2       Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced (about 1-1/2 cups)

2       scallions, thinly sliced

½      preserved lemon, finely chopped

¼      small head red cabbage, thinly sliced

¼      cup thinly sliced pickled turnips or any other pickled vegetable you fancy 

2       tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

2       heads Little Gem lettuce, halved lengthwise, or 1 head romaine, quartered lengthwise

2       tablespoons olive oil

1       cup picked tender herbs, like cilantro,parsley, and/or dill, coarsely chopped

Lemony Tahini Dressing

Note: Pickled vegetables are a very secret weapon that I like to sneak into salads whenever I can. They offer crunch and tang, and are a great option if you don’t have any fresh vegetables lying around.

This salad was made during a particularly bad hunger emergency (code red) one day, sloppily cobbled together with the contents of my refrigerator, which at the time included half a head of red cabbage and an unopened jar of beet-pickled turnips. As I ate it, probably standing up at my counter, I realized why I loved it so much: it was like eating a falafel sandwich, without the falafel (or pita). It had the tangy, crunchy cabbage, plenty of herbs, and, of course, tahini.

While this would otherwise be classified as a kitchen sink kind of salad. I've now started intentionally buying those ingredients and keeping this lemon-tahini dressing on hand just so I can make a (refined version of) it at least once a week—with or without a hunger emergency.

Combine the cucumbers, scallions, preserved lemon, cabbage, turnips, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and let sit a few minutes.

Transfer half the cucumber mixture to a large serving platter (or divide among a few plates). Top with the lettuce, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Top with the remaining cucumber mixture and'any juices that have accumulated. Scatter the herbs over the top and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle the dressing over the salad, serving any left over alongside for more dipping/drizzling.

Chile-Butter Chicken With Vinegared Potatoes

New York Times

A deceptively simple sheet-pan dinner, potatoes get tossed with tangy distilled white vinegar and topped with a chicken slathered in a garlicky chile butter (while you’re at it, let the potatoes have some, too). From there, you pop it into a 425-degree oven and let it do its thing. The result is a juicy, golden-brown chicken with slight heat from the chile and a touch of smoke from paprika, alongside potatoes that are equal parts tender and crisp. Less, you’ll see, really can be more.

Ingredients

1       (3 1/2-pound) chicken, or 3 1/2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken parts

Kosher salt and black pepper

6       tablespoons unsalted butter

2       tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed

2       teaspoons red-pepper flakes

1       teaspoon hot smoked paprika

2       garlic cloves, finely grated

1-½  pounds Yukon Gold potatoes(about 5), scrubbed and sliced 1/4-inch thick

¼      cup distilled white vinegar

1       cup cilantro or parsley, tender leaves and stems, coarsely chopped

2       scallions, thinly sliced

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Season chicken with salt and pepper; set aside.

2. Melt butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small pot over medium heat. Add red-pepper flakes, paprika and garlic and swirl to combine. Let sizzle a minute or 2 to really infuse the butter, and remove from heat.

3. Scatter potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet, toss with vinegar, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with a bit of olive oil.

4. Place chicken on top of potatoes, breast side up, and drizzle with the chile butter, drizzling any extra butter onto the potatoes. Using your hands or a spatula, give the potatoes a little toss to get that butter evenly distributed.

5. Place in oven and roast until chicken and potatoes are deeply golden brown, and chicken is cooked through, 45 to 55 minutes for a whole chicken, 40 to 45 minutes for parts.

6. Remove from oven and let chicken rest on potatoes for a few minutes so the juices mingle with the potatoes. Carve the chicken (or slice the pieces) and transfer to a large plate or platter along with potatoes. Scatter with herbs and scallions before serving.