Nuts and bolts first:
In an effort to make LATE LATE a bit more useful and to give myself more structure, LLS will now be a monthly email / downloadable pdf full of thoughts, recipes and ideas for that month. This gives me time to compile ideas and ideally gives readers more to work with. We’ll begin in March.
Pivoting is always scary, logistically hard and full of self doubt. In an effort to lessen this discomfort, it is also something I try to do with frequency - something that makes the creative process more fun and a bit less serious. But it’s still tough! While I figure this new concept out, I’ve paused all subscription payments for LLS. Read on for free!
Little List
+ Winter water on the mountain, and my earliest dunk to date on 2/12
+ Early spring ephemerals
+ Saying what I need
+ Knitting stripes
+ Cooking from Ottolenghi’s Sweet
+ Watching True Detective and Masters of the Air
Here is how I make chicken in a skillet with a deliciously flavorful side - it is a forever customizable, always cozy and comforting, simple dish to make. Add a roasted veg or simple salad and you have a composed meal using 1 pan + stuff from your fridge/pantry. Here’s mine from last week - using Israeli couscous, ras el hanout, some prunes, ginger, lemon, garlic and shallot.
The Chicken
One whole chicken, 4 ish lbs - the best bird you can buy
2 shallots or 1 onion, julienned
4 garlic cloves, minced
Aromatics (sample options below, or do whatever you want)*
1 cup white wine
5 cups water**
2 1/2 cups couscous, rice, orzo or farro**
Olive oil, salt and pepper
*SAMPLE AROMATICS / FUN ADD-IN’S
Lemon zest and juice, thyme, parsley and orzo
Dijon mustard, rosemary, dried mushrooms
Ras el hanout, bay, orange zest, dried fruit
**RATIOS
A basic 2:1 ratio for water and grain works for most quick cooking grains - quinoa, couscous, white rice, orzo. Farro + other whole grains may need a bit more liquid:grain ratio. Consult your package!
Method:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Spatchcock your chicken by removing the backbone. Cut on either side of the spine with sharp kitchen shears. Save the backbone for future stock in a ziploc bag in the freezer. Turn the chicken over, breast side facing up and splay each leg out on either side. With both hands, press down on the breast bone to break it, allowing the chicken to lay flatter. Done!
Pat the skin side of the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.
In a 12” cast iron skillet with tall sides or large Dutch oven, heat about 4 tbsp. Of olive oil over medium heat, until shimmering. Add your chicken, skin side down, to the pan and sear for 5 minutes, until the skin is golden brown and crisp. Season the underside of the chicken with salt and pepper, and flip the chicken over. Cook for 5 min, and remove from the pan.
Add in your alliums and sweat them for 5 minutes, until translucent and fragrant. Add in your chosen aromatics and sauté for a minute longer. Deglaze the pan with white wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to reincorporate any brown bits.
Add the chicken, skin side up, back to your skillet and pour in 5 cups of water. Bring the water to a boil, and transfer the skillet to your preheated oven. Bake the chicken for 50 minutes.
Remove the skillet from the oven and sprinkle in 2 1/2 cups of your chosen grain, stirring a bit to make sure its submerged in the liquid. Sprinkle with a big pinch of salt, and return the pan back to the oven. Bake for 30 more minutes.
Remove the chicken from the oven and garnish with fresh herbs. Serve in pieces alongside the cooked grains with a salad or veg.
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