It is a truth universally acknowledged that meat tastes better when seasoned ahead. Even a brief 20-minute rest with a sprinkle of salt will help bring out the best in most cuts. But when it comes to chicken, a long soak in a pungent marinade pays off exponentially, sparking the mild meat with a good jolt of flavor.
Lidey Heuck has a new recipe for a pantry-friendly, basic chicken marinade that you can use on any parts you like: boneless breasts, bone-in drumsticks, wings and thighs. A bracing mix of mustard, soy sauce, lemon and garlic, it’s got a dash of honey (or brown sugar) that glazes the meat as it cooks. Keep this one on hand for all those “Help! What should I make for dinner?” nights. Winner, winner — you can’t lose with a marinated chicken dinner.
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Chicken Marinade
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Same goes for a one-pot chicken dinner, like Kay Chun’s cumin-scented, gingery chicken and rice. Inspired by Indian flavors, this dish contains a riot of bold spices — mustard seed for heat, cumin for earthiness, cardamom for warmth, all rounded out with golden raisins for a touch of sweetness. You can even skip the chicken, swap in your favorite veggies and use vegetable broth to make a this a fragrant and filling vegetarian meal.
For a dish that’s inherently meatless and incredibly satisfying, I adore Ali Slagle’s crispy gnocchi with brussels sprouts and brown butter. You don’t even need to boil the gnocchi: Just sear them in a skillet until golden all over and chewy inside. Lemon zest, red-pepper flakes and Parmesan bring a salty depth to this stellar, speedy delight.
Another Ali favorite that takes full advantage of store-bought fresh (or frozen) pasta is her sausage tortellini soup. She calls for sausage paired with any variety of stuffed tortellini, all simmered in fennel-scented chicken broth. It’s warming and light, filled with whatever green vegetables you’ve got on hand (peas, green beans, spinach or kale).
You didn’t think I’d send this wintry missive without a cozy sheet-pan recipe, did you? Here’s Colu Henry’s harissa salmon with potatoes and citrus, a stunning five-star recipe that’s so adaptable that readers have substituted not only other fish but chicken for the salmon, cauliflower and carrots for the potatoes and pretty much any spicy chile sauce for the harissa. It always turns out great, which is the hallmark of an exceptionally well-crafted recipe.
I’ll leave you with Yasmin Fahr’s chocolate trail mix, a sweet snack as perfect for tireless trekkers as it is for those who’d rather contemplate hiking while snuggled up with a book on the sofa. Yasmin gives a great tip for coaxing the chocolate to coat the nuts, seeds and dried cherries to form crunchy-chewy clusters — just like what might happen on a summer outing warm enough to melt the chocolate, but breezy enough to re-clump it. Toasting the nuts and seeds first and sprinkling them with light dusting of sea salt imparts extra flavor.
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That’s all for now. See you on Monday.
