Chicken & Cauliflower With 'Nduja

 

'Nduja appears to be the flavoring ingredient of the year. I like any word that begins with an apostrophe, how unusual. At any rate 'Nduja has a kick! It must be related to Calabrian Chilies, similar flavor profile. Since we love Cauliflower and Chicken, this was a no-brainer to try. I really liked it. We will make it again. Cathy enhanced it by adding equal parts: Whole Grain Mustard, Ponzu and a pinch of Espelette Pepper.

Chicken & Cauliflower With 'Nduja

From the Oven to the Table

Diana Henry

 

SERVES 4

 

8      good-sized skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs, excess skin neatly trimmed

1      1lb head cauliflower, broken into florets

1      lb baby waxy potatoes, scrubbed, then halved or quartered, depending on size

24    oz 'nduja, broken into nuggets

6      thyme sprigs

3      tablespoons olive oil

sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

green salad, or bitter, greens, to serve

 

The work here is done in about eight minutes flat and the end result is totally moreish. I cook this a lot. You need to toss the elements around a few times during the cooking-to make sure the cauliflower colors all over-but that's it, Add red onion wedger, too, if you want. 'Nduja is a spicy, spreadable Calabrian sausage; get it online or from good Italian delis.

 

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Put all the ingredients in a roasting pan or a broad, shallow casserole about 12in across, season, and toss around with your hands. The chicken should end up skin-side up. Make sure the nuggets of 'nduja aren't lying on top, or they'll burn.

 

Roast for 40-45 minutes, turning everything over about 3 times during the cooking. The 'nduja partly melts and you need to ensure it gets well mixed in.

 

Towards the end of the cooking time, it's good to spoon the bits of 'nduja over the chicken, as it gives it a lovely color. The potatoes should be tender when pierced with a sharp knife and the chicken cooked through. Serve with a green salad or bitter greens.